MAUI COUNTY, Hawaii — The American Red Cross deployed over 300 volunteers to assist with recovery efforts in Maui as the destruction turned deadly this week.
Wesley Smith, the staff relations manager for the American Red Cross deployed from Arkansas this morning to help out in any way he can.
He said right now the Red Cross is focusing on reunification efforts for families displaced in the wildfire.
"For the people in the mainland, for the people on the islands," Smith said. "If they haven't been heard from, or haven't seen or understood that their family members or loved ones are safe, we're assisting with helping them find their family members and loved ones."
Smith said his team is playing a big external role, but they can't forget about the internal side of things as people are really hurting during this time.
"We've got a lot of people who are now homeless because of this event," Smith said. "Supporting them with our client shelters [and] direct shelters, providing the food, the resources and eventually opening up the cases to provide the immediate assistance with financial compensation."
Smith said the American Red Cross will also be providing physical support with food, shelter, and water to make sure no one goes without.
"Tons of water," Smith said. "We've got a lot of food, a lot of good partners on the islands supporting the locals and ensuring that... we're providing what we can from the mainland, but we're also investing back into the economic environment of the islands here as well."
Smiths said that if you're unable to donate your physical time to the recovery efforts in Maui, you can donate online to the Red Cross here.