Local Red Cross Director Joining Hurricane Relief Effort

(From the Red Cross of North Central Ohio)

Todd James, Executive Director of the American Red Cross of North Central Ohio is joining the Red Cross Hurricane Helene relief effort. James will be serving as the External Relations Chief, helping coordinate efforts with local, state and federal partners in assisting families affected by flooding with their ongoing recovery needs.

Hurricane Helene is one of the deadliest storms to ever hit the United States, leaving behind hundreds of miles of catastrophic damage and changing lives forever. The American Red Cross has launched a massive response to ensure no one faces this challenging time alone.

Across the Southeast, hundreds of people are still missing, and damaged roads and bridges have cut off entire communities, making it difficult to get help to those areas. People need water, food, medicine and medical care. Tens of thousands of homes have been affected and some 1.3 million customers — about 4 million people — are still without power.

“With massive relief efforts underway in response to Hurricane Helene, we are working around the clock to help people and communities devastatingly impacted by this storm’s path of destruction,” said Trevor Riggen, president of Red Cross Humanitarian Services. “Our hearts go out to all those who have been affected, and we want you to know that you are not alone. The Red Cross and our partners will be there to provide shelter, food and comfort in the days, weeks and months ahead.”

RED CROSS RESPONSE More than 1,200 Red Cross disaster responders from across the country are helping people across the Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida.

The Red Cross is managing shelters where residents can get hot meals and emotional support. In these same areas, emergency response vehicles — deployed from every state — are on the roads providing meals and critical supplies as families begin to clean up their homes. In the Carolinas, we’re working with state taskforces to coordinate feeding efforts to help ensure communities are getting the help they need. And in Florida, the Red Cross is helping to assess residential damage.

With the support of our partners, the Red Cross has provided tens of thousands of overnight shelter stays, meals and snacks. And more than 200 Red Cross reunification team members are working to reconnect loved ones. We’ve received more than 3,000 reunification requests for help and that number continues to grow.

How You Can Help

People affected by Hurricane Helene need urgent help now, and we can’t do this alone. You can help by making a financial donation by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or texting the word HELENE to 90999. Financial donations for Hurricane Helene enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster.