CALIFORNIA -- Southern California is receiving crucial support from Red Cross volunteers across the state as wildfires continue to ravage the region. A Red Cross representative said several hundred volunteers are currently in Southern California, with their primary mission being to ensure evacuees have somewhere to stay.
Red Cross leaders emphasized the importance of pre-disaster planning, saying that they engage in year-round discussions to make sure shelter locations are available, ADA compliant and capable of housing evacuees.
"We certainly want to make sure that they know they don't have to go through this alone and our volunteers are there to help them with anything they may need while they are staying with us," Red Cross Representative Steve Walsh said. "Certainly, something like this, a wildfire where you have to evacuate your home and you may not know if you have a home to go back to, is one of the most stressful, saddest times of your life and we want to make sure as Red Crossers that we are here to help."
The Red Cross is urging community members with friends or family in Southern California to remind them to stay safe and plan ahead to avoid making hasty decisions during evacuations. They also advise evacuees to inform others of where they are heading, as communication can be challenging during a disaster.
Financial donations to the Red Cross are encouraged to help allocate resources where they are most needed during the crisis, the representative said.