Chicago volunteers pitch in to send relief supplies to victims of Hurricane Ida
CHICAGO - Some much-needed relief will be headed to Louisiana from Chicago Thursday to help victims of Hurricane Ida.
Volunteers packing up donated supplies at a West Side warehouse will fill a semi-truck that will be on the road by days end.
Hurricane Ida devastated the state, leaving many in the dark and without fuel. Some are trapped in their homes without basic necessities.
WorldVision has warehouses across the country, all filled with essentials from generators to solar lights, donated by corporate partners.
The staff and volunteers say it is a rewarding mission,
"To be able to step in and respond and to give people what they need it’s a great feeling," said Perrise Thomas, a partner coordinator with WorldVision.
Thomas said the organization has supplies at the ready for just these types of disasters.
"So at any of our warehouses, at any given time, we have prepositioned supplies that are ready to go," Thomas said. "So that includes those things like the food kits, the hygiene kits and the air mattresses and the coolers and things like that. So we’re able to just grab those things off of the shelves, get them on the truck, and get them out."
After the relief phase, WorldVision also delivers donated building supplies for the rebuilding phase.
If you would like to help, financial contributions can be made at www.worldvision.org.