New Jersey-based American Red Cross volunteers are on the ground in the Gulf helping those impacted by Ida. 

The Red Cross has already set up dozens of shelters across the Gulf. About 500 volunteers are heading there to help with relief efforts, including a handful from New Jersey. 

“Right now, our manpower from New Jersey, we have about nine volunteers who have headed down or heading down today,” says Communications Manager Sheri Ferreira.

This includes New Jersey-based Red Cross workers Andrea Godshall and John Siddons. They flew out of Philadelphia this morning to help with Ida relief efforts. 

“Our Red Cross volunteers are going to be moving hundreds of things like cots and blankets and comfort kits and tens of thousands ready-made meals to the shelters,” says Ferreira.

The Red Cross heavily recruited earlier this summer ahead of storm season for volunteers, and it’s helping now. The symbol acts as a beacon of light for people whose lives changed in an instant. 

“When the Red Cross shows up and our volunteers are compassionate and they have supplies for you, even as simple as a comforter, that has the toiletries that you might not think to run out or you don’t have the resources to run out and buy for the next night or two - us being there does provide a lot of care and comfort,” says Ferreira.

The CEO of the American Red Cross New Jersey Region is among those on the ground. She arrives Tuesday.