Pittsburgh nonprofits ready to respond to Hurricane Helene

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — As Hurricane Helene strengthens and approaches Florida’s Big Bend region, nonprofit organizations in Pittsburgh and across Pennsylvania are ready to help before, during and after the storm. catastrophic hurricane.

Hurricane Helene is developing into what forecasters call a “once-in-a-generation storm.”

“This is going to change people’s lives, and it’s really difficult,” said Nicole Roschella, regional communications director for the American Red Cross for the Greater Pennsylvania region.

Pennsylvanians and Pittsburghers are ready to lend a hand, whether it’s putting volunteers on the ground ahead of the potentially deadly storm or gathering funds and supplies.

“It’s really nice to see how quickly we can help, and also how generous the people in this neighborhood and this city are,” said Tanner Rowe, director of operations for the Brother’s Brother Foundation.

The Brother’s Brother Foundation, located on Pittsburgh’s North Side, is ready to step in. Rowe said officials are communicating with partner food banks in Tallahassee and the Tampa Bay area.

“Keep track of what they’ll need and what they’re looking for, and our donations will be fully returned to them,” Rowe said.

In addition to being willing to provide money to buy food and supplies, they are willing to send trucks with supplies, like water, PPE, and hygiene kits.

“These are very essential for people who might be kicked out of their homes and have to stay elsewhere. They may not have the opportunity to stay clean, brush their teeth or put on deodorant. Whatever their needs, we will be able to accomplish it, and if we don’t have it on hand, we will do everything we can to get it,” Rowe said.

The American Red Cross already has blood supplies and products in Florida. Hundreds of their disaster relief volunteers are positioned in shelters in Tallahassee, including four volunteers from central Pennsylvania and one from Erie. The American Red Cross is making sure the thousands of people who had to be evacuated have a roof over their heads.

“We will send more. We expect the response to increase,” Roschella said.

“There are already people who have evacuated their homes, around 2,500 people are already housed in shelters,” she added.

When Pennsylvania Red Cross volunteers are deployed, they put their lives on hold for two weeks or more to be there for strangers.

“Some of them are still rebuilding after the last hurricane and are touched with a lot of emotion. But I think it’s really great that our volunteers can be there at some point and be a light, a hope for people when they really need it.” said Roschella.

The quickest way to help from Pittsburgh is to donate money to Brother or the Red Cross or donate blood.

“They’re not going to be able to hold blood drives and bring in those normal donors. So they need additional blood in that area,” Roschella said.

“I love seeing how Pittsburgh helps out and pitches in. They kind of bombard our phone lines and say I want to donate, I got this, I got that,” Rowe said.

You can make a donation on the Brother’s Brother Foundation website. Simply choose “US Disaster Relief” for the gift option. One hundred percent of the funds received will be directly donated to its partner food banks in Florida to help those affected by Hélène. The foundation also accepts medical equipment, including walkers, wheelchairs, crutches and canes.

The Red Cross website allows you to specify “Hurricane Hélène” when donating money. You can also call 1-800-RED-CROSS to make a donation.