Local volunteers leave Friday to help with relief efforts in Hawaii

COLORADO (KRDO) - Five volunteers with the American Red Cross from the Colorado-Wyoming region leave Friday morning for Hawaii to help the thousands of people impacted by devastating wildfires.

Lee Meyer has deployed to more than 60 disasters, ranging from wildfires to hurricanes, including Katrina in 2005. 

Her job in Hawaii will be to provide logistical support for transportation. 

That includes coordinating smaller vehicles to get relief workers to areas where they're needed, as well as larger trucks to distribute emergency supplies and donations. 

She admits this effort could be more challenging than during previous disasters, as most supplies and personnel will have to come from 2,000 miles away. 

Meyer says maybe the most important thing they bring to families is hope. 

“They see the Red Cross, they think hope.  There's somebody here that's going to help me,” she says. 

“Sometimes you can see on their faces they just need a hug.  You know, they need somebody to tell them that we're going to help them move on.  You know, we can't replace what they've lost, but to help them get started again.” 

On this trip, Meyer will play more of a behind-the-scenes role, and credits other volunteers on the front lines for doing the more emotionally challenging jobs. 

“Our mental health workers and our mental health services workers and our care teams, they're the ones that really do the hard work,” says Meyer. 

She and the rest of the volunteers are expected to be in Hawaii for 2-3 weeks, but that could be extended. 

Red Cross Regional Communications Manager Josh Egbert says the organization is always looking to recruit volunteers for this type of work, although it’s unlikely any new volunteers would be immediately sent to Hawaii, due to the disaster relief training required.

Egbert says the best to help Hawaiians right now is to make a donation to the American Red Cross by phone, text, or online.