OHIO — The American Red Cross’ Ohio chapter has volunteers on the ground in Florida and ready to assist as Hurricane Ian pummels the state.
Mahogany Coward is one of the volunteers who flew down to Florida to be there for those who need it most.
“I am considered, under my duties, as a volunteer for disaster relief, a shelter assistant,” Coward said from an evacuation shelter.
As a shelter assistant, she will provide relief, support and comfort — something she said she knows all too well.
“Back in 2016, I became a disaster client,” she said. Coward’s home was flooded in 2016 and she was forced to relocate. At the time, the American Red Cross helped her and her family find a place to stay. In return, she made a commitment to help others.
“I promised the Red Cross here in Stark County that once they assisted me, I’d come back and become a volunteer,” she said.
Six years later, Coward said she continues to volunteer and help other.
“I place myself in their shoes,” Coward explained.
Jim McIntyre with the American Red Cross said Coward isn’t alone.
“We’re prepared to deploy hundreds of volunteers to send to Florida to help with post-hurricane relief efforts,” McIntyre emphasized.
The American Red Cross is always looking for volunteers. If you are interested, you can click here for more information.
Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida just after 3 p.m. on Wednesday in Cay Costa with max winds of 150 mph. Along with high-end Category 4 Hurricane winds, Ian will continue to bring catastrophic impacts, including life-threatening storm surge, and coastal and inland flooding to the Florida peninsula.
Ian is the first hurricane to make landfall in the continental U.S. this year. It will continue to move inland and northeast across the Florida peninsula through Thursday, slowly weakening into a tropical storm by that time.
Ohio Task Force 1 as well as AEP Ohio also headed down south earlier this week, prepped to help with restoration efforts in Ian’s wake.
