Hundreds of Red Cross volunteers from across the country are on the ground in Texas, helping victims of Harvey, and more are coming in all the time.
About a dozen from the agency's Eastern New York region are already there, and spokesperson Kimmy Venter says they're getting their Emergency Response Vehicle ready to hit the road.
"It's a vehicle that looks a lot like an ambulance from the outside," Venter said. "Inside, it's set up to hold relief supplies like cleaning products and bottles of water. It can also hold meals."
The vehicle will go to a staging area in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where it will be equipped with necessary supplies. It will then go to wherever it can do the most good.
In addition, the Red Cross is holding three day-long training sessions this week for people who *want* to volunteer in Texas. The first one is scheduled for tomorrow in Albany. The second will be Wednesday in Glens Falls, and later in the week in Utica.
"We're really looking for people who have a desire to serve their neighbor," Venter said. "The biggest requirement is that people have to be willing to travel for at least 14 days."
No specific skill set is required. Venter says they're really looking for people who can travel and want to do what they can to help.
In the meantime, members of the New York National Guard are being deployed to Texas.
Gov. Cuomo deployed aircraft, rescue teams, maintenance crews, boats, and more than 100 airmen to assist with Harvey response efforts in Texas and Louisiana. Cuomo spoke to Governor Greg Abbott of Texas and Governor Bel Edwards of Louisiana by phone to offer his support.
In a statement, Cuomo said "New Yorkers know first-hand the damage Mother Nature can cause, and we stand shoulder to shoulder with Louisiana and Texas."
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