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Kentucky volunteers help Floridians amidst Hurricane Ian

The hurricane continues to move through Florida, and all hands have been on deck at shelters.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Dozens of volunteers from the Kentucky American Red Cross were sent out to assist Floridians on Sunday with recovery relief, after being forced to evacuate. 

Hurricane Ian continues to move through Florida, and all hands have been on deck at shelters. 

Tanya Garitty was one of the volunteers who assisted at an elementary school in Leesburg, Florida. This school is just one of the many facilities that turned into a recovery shelter.

"Currently there is a special needs shelter on one side, " she said. "There is a general population shelter in their terms. In our terms, we would call it just an open shelter and a medically meets shelter." 

Those areas have been full of emergency crews assisting dozens of families.

Garitty said the shelter is expecting even more families.

"I count[ed] last night -- there was 54 people, " Garrity said. "We've had a few more show up this morning and then we are anticipating a lot more as Hurricane Ian gains strength."

Safety has been the main priority, making sure clients and crews are protected.

"The first thing we think of is how do we get our clients back to some sense of normalcy, so that is our first thought as we go forward," Garitty said.

She is grateful to make a difference by providing relief to those who are impacted.

"I show up because if I can alleviate their human suffering then that's one less person that has to go through it alone, " Garitty said.

This has been a team effort to make sure everyone is safe. 

You can find more information about volunteering opportunities here.

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