SAN ANTONIO - – Just two days after the devastating wildfires began sweeping across the island of Maui, the San Antonio Red Cross deployed two of its members.
“Volunteers are there to just give comfort, to be able to be there for them to have that hard conversation,” said San Antonio and South Texas Red Cross Chairman of the Board, Dr. Jeremy Roberts.
Roberts said many of those tough conversations right now in Maui are about missing loved ones.
“So if somebody has a family member or a loved one in the affected area, we’re able to make that connection through our supply chain,” Roberts said.
He said San Antonio and Hawaii have a special military connection.
“There’s a lot of military personnel that want to make sure that their families are okay,” he said.
Roberts said just a week after the fire started, the general Red Cross had already received 1,360 reunification requests and had been able to complete 400 so far.
The two people from here in San Antonio that are now in Maui were specifically requested for their skills in logistics and sheltering.
One of them is Ralph Lipps, who started volunteering for the local Red Cross in October 2022 and has already been deployed to Florida, El Paso, California, Arkansas, Vermont and now Hawaii.
He was requested for his skill in logistics and fulfillment, which means managing the movement of supplies from the Red Cross staging areas to the shelters in need.
Though communication is difficult on the ground, he has relayed messages to the team in San Antonio saying though the work is tough, it’s been rewarding to be part of the large team assisting people who have been impacted by the disaster.
“A lot of our volunteers are cross-trained in many aspects. They can do sheltering, they can do damage assessment, they can do disaster action team, which goes out into the community and helps out by figuring out what their needs are at that time,” said San Antonio Red Cross Volunteer Disaster Program Manager Mac McNell.
McNell said his volunteers are helping at the 11 emergency shelters that have been set up.
While just two San Antonio volunteers are on the ground in Maui, the local volunteers are trained and ready if they’re asked to send more.
“We’ve also been able to provide more than 25,000 meals and snacks to people that have been affected,” Roberts said.
The level of devastation in Maui means there will be many more meals to serve, which is why monetary donations are so important.
“$25 would be able to provide food and shelter for three meals a day for an individual,” Roberts said.
Roberts said monetary donations are best because the Red Cross already has a set supply chain and does not accept separate food or blankets from the public.
Here’s how you can donate to the Red Cross:
- Online at the Red Cross website
- By calling 1(800) HELP NOW or 1(800) 435-7669
- Texting 90999 to make an automatic $10 donation
- For information on volunteering:
- Head to the Red Cross website
- Call (210) 224-5151