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Connecticut Red Cross volunteers continue to deploy for Hurricane Harvey relief

FARMINGTON —  Volunteers from the Connecticut chapter of the American Red Cross continue to be deployed to Texas for disaster relief following Hurricane H...

FARMINGTON --  Volunteers from the Connecticut chapter of the American Red Cross continue to be deployed to Texas for disaster relief following Hurricane Harvey.

Some of those volunteers received a thank you visit from Governor Dannel Malloy Friday morning.

“We have neighbors, far away neighbors, that need our help. You guys are part of really a gigantic team spread across the country that helps people be prepared,” Malloy said as he greeted volunteers at their Farmington facility.

Mario Bruno, the CEO of the Connecticut and Rhode Island Red Cross said roughly 60 Connecticut volunteers have been deployed for relief efforts and many more are expected to be sent in the coming weeks.

Many of the volunteers sent are working in the more than 200 Red Cross shelters that have been set up in Texas since the hurricane hit.

“We’re feeding about 32,000 people right now who were evacuated from this storm,” Bruno explained.

The Red Cross deployment operation from the Connecticut and Rhode Island region continues to be active and ongoing as they send roughly two to five individuals each day.

“We will deploying folks to Texas and Louisiana for the next few months,” Bruno added.

One of those volunteers is Jeanny Eusko from Danbury.

“The people that have been devastated by this are always very, so appreciative and they’re so kind and it’s just a great feeling,” Eusko said.

She is no stranger to disaster relief as she was also deployed to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina, but she said with each deployment comes a range of emotions.

“You do get nervous, but it’s also an exciting feeling as well,” Eusko explained.

On her trip to Texas, she’ll initially be coordinating and looking after the groups of other volunteers there, but she said that assignment could change at a moment’s notice, as they are set to go to where the greatest need is. Eusko is scheduled to be deployed for at least two weeks but says there’s a chance she’ll be needed longer.

“I’m going to be bringing a sleeping bag just in case I’m in a staff shelter, towels, thing like that that you need, toiletries,” Eusko said. She went on to say she’s just happy to be able to help.

“I don’t think of it as a sacrifice, it’s helping, I go where I’m needed, to help where I’m needed and that’s what it’s all about, it’s about caring for other people,” Eusko said.

The Red Cross is planning a volunteer training at our Farmington headquarters, 209 Farmington Ave., Farmington, on Tuesday, Sept. 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Anyone looking to attend this training must register in advance by emailing chctrivolintake@redcross.org. Registration is not confirmed until a response is received from the American Red Cross. Additional training will be scheduled in the days and weeks ahead.

click here to find out how you can help donate to the Harvey relief.

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