Howling winds, flying debris — we know the feeling.
“My wife and I live in a fifth wheel RV so we don’t sit them out anymore. We get out of town when they come to Fort Myers,” said Red Cross volunteer, Bill Roy, of Hendry County.
But this time as Hurricane Laura grew in the Gulf, Roy went to the storm. He’s in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with the Red Cross.
“I understand what it is to lose everything,” he said.
Roy is out there with Sally Wilsey who says it’s her mission to be there.
“I wanted to be there to help them get through it,” she said.
Wilsey and Roy can donate their time. The rest of us? When we see damage and destruction and loss of life, we want to help. What the Red Cross needs is cash.
“Monetary donations are best,” Wilsey said.
“Money is always the best way,” Roy agreed.
You can safely donate through AmericanRedCross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or text LAURA to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
“We know hurricane season will continue for a couple more months so while we might have escaped Hurricane Laura, there will be another storm that will come at some point our way,” said Jill Palmer, executive director for Florida Gulf Coast to Heartland Chapter of the American Red Cross.
One more tip to help out Laura victims: “Just listen to people,” said Roy. “I promise you if you can just let them tell the story, it’s so therapeutic for them.”
Laura will soon be gone, but her pain will remain. So lending an ear and offering a dollar can go a long way.
If you’re worried about loved ones who live in Laura’s path, the Red Cross has set up its “Safe and Well” website. People go there to mark themselves as “okay.” Facebook has a similar feature.