Local organizations responding to Hurricane Helene relief needs

Several Indianapolis-based organizations are providing help to people affected by Hurricane Helene.

The Indianapolis branch of the American Red Cross announced that two volunteers drove an emergency response vehicle to North Carolina on Tuesday to provide relief for those dealing with the aftermath of the storm, which also struck five other southeastern states and caused over 120 deaths.

“This hurricane has caused catastrophic damage, and it extends to hundreds of miles, and has uprooted the lives of communities, and in many cases forever,” said Isis Chaverri, communications director for the Indiana Region of the American Red Cross.

The volunteers, Cindy Kvale and Dave Barker, will distribute food, water, and other critical emergency supplies to those who need them. They will join 24 other volunteers from Indiana who have already departed to help those in need.

Chaverri said that the Red Cross has now sent 60 emergency response vehicles to areas affected by the hurricane, and that four of those are from Indiana. She said that the volunteers are an important part of bringing relief to communities.

“The volunteers do make a big difference in providing support and comfort to thousands of people who right now, you know, have lost everything,” she said.

Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana is also providing help to those harmed by the hurricane.

The nonprofit has sent several truckloads of prebuilt disaster boxes to two of its sister food banks in Atlanta and east Tennessee. The boxes are filled with ready to eat items that the food banks will hand out to people who need them.

Gleaners said it expects to continue to support its sister food banks more in the coming weeks.

Midwest Food Bank is offering help to those in the local community affected by power outages that the hurricane caused. The organization will give out food on October 5 at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in Indianapolis.

Midwest Food Bank has also partnered with the Salvation Army to send food and water to affected states.