Muskogee Man Details Volunteering in Florida Following Hurricane Helene

Madeira Beach Florida September 28, 2024(AP)

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KOKH) — Red Cross volunteers from Oklahoma left the state last week to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene.

“We have the emergency response vehicles that are going down. That’s basically where we are able to put a lot of the food and the water, those snacks and supplies,” Executive Director of the Red Cross Central and Southwest Oklahoma Chapter, Loida Haffener Salmond said on September 26.

Ronnie LaCrone is from Muskogee and is one of the volunteers who took an emergency response vehicle to Florida. He said he and his crew are in the Dixie area of Florida.

“Dixie is about, I don’t know, 80 miles from Tallahassee, and Tallahassee didn’t have near the damage that Dixie has going that route,” he said. “20 miles south of Dixie, we didn’t get to go in there, but they said it was just a total loss.”

LaCrone said he is handing out food to those in the areas impacted. His crew took 450 MREs to a shelter to set up at a local high school on Saturday.

“We’ll be feeding soon as they let us go into those neighborhoods that are really affected,” LaCrone said.

LaCrone said he is retired and enjoys using his time to help those in need.

“They need it, and they’re very appreciative of the food that they get,” he said.

LaCrone said his crew will be there for two weeks. To learn more about how you can help through the Red Cross, click here.