Red Cross New Jersey volunteers head south to aid in Idalia relief

PENNSAUKEN, New Jersey (WPVI) -- Two volunteers from the American Red Cross New Jersey Region left Pennsauken on Wednesday morning. They are headed south to aid in relief efforts for Hurricane Idalia.

"There are about 45 Red Cross vehicles from throughout the country that are being staged to push into areas where people need help," said Rosie Taravella, regional CEO American Red Cross of NJ.

The volunteers are driving down an emergency response vehicle, which will provide feeding, information, and supplies throughout the streets of the damaged areas.

"What we're doing today is providing a vehicle - a very recognizable vehicle - that people will see. They'll see the very large Red Cross vehicle coming through their streets and they'll know that it's a beacon of hope," said Taravella.

Most of the supplies are already staged down south but volunteers Lynn Paul of Voorhees and John Delaney of Trenton did load some items, including stuffed animals.

"It's amazing what a little stuffed animal will do to a child. You see them just clutching it and it may be the only thing they have," said Paul.

Paul has answered the call for numerous disasters over the years. Her first deployment was Hurricane Katrina.

Delaney, a retired science teacher, is another longtime volunteer and described one past deployment to Florida.

"Panama City got hit. The forest was just totally knocked down. I went through 30 miles, and every one of those trees was knocked over and all the power lines were with it. It's amazing what Mother Nature does when she's mad," Delaney said.

Right now there are around 400 volunteers from the American Red Cross in the Florida area, who will be prepared to move to other states if needed.

All the while, the Red Cross still has volunteers in Maui and California for the wildfires.

"We know this is a busy time, but climate scientists have said that storms are going to keep coming," Taravella said. "We're just so proud of our volunteers because they put their own lives aside to provide passion and compassion to the people who need it most."