Working Together to Bring Help

Working Together To Bring Help

By Mario Bruno, American Red Cross

It was quite a cavalcade that pulled into the American Red Cross staging area in La Marque on Tuesday morning: 10 US Army trucks, two American Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles with bi-lingual volunteers (English and Spanish) and a vehicle with a team of Mexican Red Cross relief workers.

The American Red Cross has partnered with the US Army and the Mexican Red Cross to provide needed food, water and clean up supplies to people affected by Hurricane Harvey.

“We are here to serve and do whatever is needed to help those affected by this horrible hurricane” said Vania Ramirez, one of 33 Mexican Red Cross relief workers supporting the American Red Cross relief efforts in Texas.

As he organized supplies, Frank Casella, American Red Cross volunteer, said “It is so great to see the community come together to help those affected by the storm.

The distribution center was packed with pallets of water, meals ready to eat, shovels, brooms, rakes, mops, bleach and other relief supplies.

Without hesitation, several US Army soldiers jumped on forklifts and started to load up the Army trucks with water, as Red Cross workers, both American and Mexican, ensured that Red Cross vehicles were also packed with water and meals ready to eat.

First, a stop at a multi-agency distribution center in League City to drop off much-needed water from the US Army trucks. Salvation Army partners and a FEMA worker welcomed the team and supplies to the center. Mexican Red Cross workers heard that Spanish-speaking residents entering the center needed help, and they quickly offered to translate and support the distribution center operations.

As our US Army partners continued to move supplies into the distribution center, two American Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles, with teams of bi-lingual Red Cross workers, ventured into Hurricane Harvey-affected neighborhoods in League City to provide food and water to those in need. It was 96 degrees as families and their neighbors were in the process of taking damaged belongings to their front lawns.

“We are here to drive up and down affected neighborhoods to make sure that families in need receive our services,” said Maria Malave,  American Red Cross emergency response vehicle bilingual team member.

Hundreds of meals and bottles of water were delivered, and many more are on their way as more US Army troops and Mexican Red Cross workers continue supporting American Red Cross relief efforts. The path to recovery can take many turns and twists, and for those affected by Hurricane Harvey, the Red Cross and many community partners are there to help them along the way.

You can help, too. Please donate to Hurricane Harvey relief by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word HARVEY to 90999 to make a $10 donation. –