NC Red Cross Volunteers Bring Aid and Hugs to Florida

When Hurricane Isaias slammed into Florida on October 9, Helen Miller and Dan Wood didn't hesitate to help strangers hundreds of miles away.

The longtime Red Cross volunteers from North Carolina loaded up an emergency response vehicle with food, water, and supplies. But they knew their most important tool couldn't fit in any kit.

"Compassion," said Wood, who calls Leland home. "People want to talk because they just experienced something horrible, and so we listen, give them resources and try to help them out."

Miller and Wood represent just two of more than 40 North Carolina disaster workers who mobilized to support Gulf Coast communities after the storm. The hurricane left over 800,000 homes without power and forced 1,165 people into 21 Red Cross shelters across the impact area.

The pair brings serious experience to their mission. Miller, from Jacksonville, North Carolina, has deployed 101 times since joining the Red Cross 35 years ago. Wood has volunteered since 1972 and completed 24 deployments.

Just weeks before heading to Florida, Miller was responding to flooding and tornadoes in Indiana while Wood battled wildfires in Oregon. They barely had time to unpack before disaster struck again.

"Our mission is to alleviate the suffering after an emergency," Wood explained. "You're meeting people who it could be the worst day of their life. They never expected to be in a shelter or maybe having a home fire. We try to immediately help them."

The Ripple Effect

North Carolina knows what it means to receive help during dark times. Hurricane Helene devastated parts of the state just two years ago, bringing thousands of volunteers from across the country.

"We had thousands of volunteers that came to help us with Helene," said James Jarvis, the American Red Cross regional disaster officer for North Carolina. "So we're repaying that favor by going to help our sister states when they need us."

The spirit of giving back runs deep. Last year alone, 980 Red Cross volunteers from North Carolina deployed to disasters nationwide. The organization stationed a dozen emergency response vehicles in Tallahassee capable of serving up to 2,000 people daily.

Before Miller climbed into the response vehicle for the long drive south, she shared what motivates her after three decades of service. "These people are going to need compassion. We have compassion as volunteers in the American Red Cross. They're going to need us."

She paused, then added a detail that captures the heart of disaster response: "I even give some of these people a hug, and they keep that feeling when I leave them."

Relief operations launched from Wilmington, Charlotte, and Fayetteville as North Carolina once again proved that helping hands know no state borders.