Another Red Cross volunteer from our area is heading to the Gulf Coast to help the victims of Hurricane Isaac. Bill King of Stewartsville is on his way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to help out at a disaster relief warehouse.

King becomes the 14th volunteer from the Midland Empire Chapter to be deployed to the Gulf Coast. Chapter officials say that on Sunday night, about 660 people stayed in 18 Red Cross shelters in Louisiana and Mississippi.

“I am so proud of our local disaster responders”, states Karla Long, Emergency Services Director. “They, like everyone else, saw the need along the Gulf Coast and have dropped everything to go help.” Disaster responders make a 14 day commitment when they deploy.

At this time, nearly 3,000 Red Cross disaster workers have responded to the Gulf and are providing emotional support, food, water and supplies like clean-up and personal hygiene items, coolers, shovels, rakes, tarps, gloves and masks to families affected.

They need your help. Red Cross relief services for Isaac could cost as much as tens of millions of dollars and those costs are growing by the hour.

To donate, people can visit www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation, or stop by the local office at 401 N 12th Street in St. Joseph.