A man who volunteered to help with Hurricane Gustav recovery efforts hopes his experience can help if a massive storm hits New Jersey.

Red Cross volunteer Lenny Winter, of Toms River, recently returned from Baton Rouge, La. "I don't know the exact number, but when I left we'd already served 500,000 meals throughout Louisiana," he says.

Winter says that while the Red Cross is ready to respond to a hurricane in the Garden State, most residents are not. He believes his time helping out in another state will translate into a hands-on lesson that helps save lives.

"I'm able now to bring [my experience] back to the Jersey Coast Chapter and help set up a chapter for disaster here so we're better prepared," he says.