Kentucky Red Cross members head to Hawaii following devastating wildfire

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Seven members of the Kentucky Region of the American Red Cross are either on their way to help, or have put boots on the ground in Maui.

From setting up shelters to delivering essential supplies to assessing the damage, Clair Brendel says the American Red Cross serves in several capacities when disaster strikes. After a fast-moving wildfire destroyed the city of Lahaina on August 8, those services were desperately needed.

“We’ve had, I believe, 4,200 overnight shelter stays in Hawaii that we’ve provided in response to these fires,” said Brendel, who serves as the regional planning and preparedness manager for the state of Kentucky.

She and six other Kentucky members are joining around 300 Red Cross workers, in a place where more than 100 people have been killed, and the number of structures destroyed is in the thousands.

“So, as responders, we have to acknowledge that this is the reality that we are headed towards,” Brendel said.

The reality for Brendel has involved responding to these disasters in both eastern and western parts of the commonwealth over the past two years. So she’s heartened to see some of the same responders signing up to help again – this time thousands of miles, and an ocean, away.

“Those volunteers are going to raise their hand again and again and again,” said Brendel. “They really do become a team. We’re not just the Bluegrass Red Cross or the Kentucky Red Cross, we are the American Red Cross.”

Brendel says her long journey from the bluegrass to Maui starts Thursday. She is set to serve there for the next three weeks.

You can sign up to volunteer at redcross.org, or donate to their cause by calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767).

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