ARKANSAS, USA — Central Arkansas to Florida is a long trip to make, but Arkansans are responding to the call for help in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian— although they'll be walking into the face of destruction, these volunteers are ready.
Christopher Easley, a Red Cross member, is no stranger when it comes to natural disasters
"I've been to approximately 40 different disaster relief operations,” said Easley.
Easley said that during his time with the Red Cross he’s never been to Florida, but he and his fellow members are ready for the challenge.
“What I expect to see is just total devastation, you know, the winds blow everything down and trash and stuff are scattered everywhere,” said Easley.
The Red Cross began their trip to Florida on Thursday, September 29— but they aren’t the only organization here in the Natural State who responded to the call for action.
The Sheepdog Impact Assistance Chapter of Central Arkansas is now preparing for the trip and will be leaving on Sunday morning.
“All of our membership or veterans prior service, active duty, and first responders, and who better would you want to respond to a situation like this than those that are trained to operate in chaos,” said Chapter Commander Brent Lewis.
Lewis said that they’ve been helping those impacted by natural disasters since Hurricane Katrina and know all too well how much destruction can be left behind.
“We'll help them get their flooded materials out of the home, get it cleaned up so it can start drying, and they can start the recovery process,” said Lewis.
Lewis added that they're still in need of a lot of things before they can hit the road, and called on more Arkansans to join in on their mission.
“We are in dire need of blue tarps, chainsaw fuel, chainsaw oil, medical supplies, foodstuffs, dry storage foodstuffs, bottled water, roofing, nails,” said Lewis.
If you’re interested in joining them on their trip you can, by clicking here.
If you would like to donate, click here.