MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The American Red Cross Eastern South Carolina Chapter deployed a team of people this week to help with the California Wildfires.
The team deployed on Monday is the first group to go to California for the wildfires from South Carolina. “They will be working in shelters,” said Lou Palm with the Red Cross. “They will be providing care and comfort to those people who have had to evacuate.”
He said when the Grand Strand was affected by Hurricane Matthew, people from California came to help out, so they are doing the same. “In Hurricane Matthew, we had 16 shelters open in Horry County, and many of them were staffed by people outside South Carolina,” said Palm.
Palm said the Red Cross is preparing for the peak of hurricane season, and while the volunteers are helping victims in California, he said they’re also learning about government operations for disaster relief. “Our team will gain experience with this effort they’re doing in California and they’ll be leaders for us here should we get a hurricane this year.”
If you want to volunteer with the American Red Cross, you can contact them at 843.477.0020. They will also have an orientation for volunteers on Tuesday, Aug. 14 at 6 p.m. The orientation will be at 3531 Pampas Drive in Myrtle Beach.