Another round of volunteers with the regional chapter of the American Red Cross left Tuesday morning to provide relief in South Carolina.
Paul Carden, a regional disaster officer, tells WUSA*9 help is desperately needed across parts of South Carolina, where flooding is a major issue.
Pointing to an electronic map inside the center, Carden pointed out the location of dozens of shelters that opened last night. Many were scattered throughout the state. Some were on the Georgia border.
Around 9 o'clock this morning, Ali Alami and David Kidd emptied out two emergency response trucks before hitting the road 30 minutes later. Both volunteers could not wait to leave.
“I’m looking forward to it." Kidd said. "A lot of people have literally lost everything and to be a part of alleviating that suffering is again, what the Red Cross does."
“I’m always happiest when I'm feeding from these trucks," said Alami, who couldn't wait for deployment to the zones that need help. "Most of the time we have 200 to 300 meals on the truck."
Alami said the best part is seeing the kids fill their stomachs with food and cookies. It warms his heart when the kids give out big hugs.
"You can't have any gold for that," Alami said. "There's no money that could buy that."
When the men arrive, their trucks will be filled with food, water and other supplies from a distribution center. They will then get their assignments for their two-week mission, targeting areas with stranded people and neighborhoods trying to recover.
The NCR American Red Cross owns six emergency response vehicles. Four of the trucks are in Texas to help Harvey victims with recovery efforts.
