Nebraska Red Cross volunteers prepare to head to Maui to help after devastating wildfires

OMAHA, Neb (KMTV) — The scenes coming from the island of Maui this last week have been devastating.

What was once a tropical paradise has turned into a landscape of scorched earth and destroyed communities.

Help from across the country has been pouring into Hawaii and here in Nebraska, a group of just over a dozen volunteers are preparing to head into the disaster zone to do what they can to help.

“Its heartbreaking, but you have to be strong. You have to be strong for the people,” said Heidi Briggs, one of 13 Red Cross Volunteers from Nebraska and Iowa who have been deployed or put on stand by.

Heidi Briggs is no stranger to difficult situations.

She has been deployed on Red Cross missions across the country, helping folks recover from all sorts of natural disasters.

“I recently got back from Mississippi for the tornadoes, I have been to California for the wildfires we have been all over,” said Briggs.

Heidi says that volunteers do a little bit of everything. They help prepare meals and find shelter for those who have lost their homes. But most importantly, Heidi says, they give love and support to those who have lost it all in the disaster.

“I love people, people always laugh but I’m a hugger. When I’m around someone who lost everything, maybe just a small house fire, a hug really helps,” said Briggs.

We can’t all be deployed to Hawaii, but Heidi says there are still plenty of ways folks at home can help.

Financial and blood donations are always needed but Heidi says one of the best ways you can help is to donate you time.

“We need people, especially when we are deploying to other places. We need people on our Homefront covering for us. So the more volunteers we can get the better it will be,” said Briggs.

To help the Red Cross in its efforts in Hawaii you can visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767), or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

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