HOUSTON – Dozens of Red Cross volunteers packed up and headed east Wednesday to help Hurricane Isaac victims.
The crews were taking supplies in specially designed 4x4 trucks.
"I found out that they needed help and I packed up my stuff and came right away," volunteer Renee Tate said. "We all do this out of the kindness of our hearts. We do this because we want to make a difference."
About 100 volunteers, some coming from Philadelphia and Illinois, were stationed in Houston, keeping an eye on Hurricane Isaac. Many of them drove east on Wednesday afternoon. Dozens more are ready to go when they get the call.
One of the volunteers, Marti Jones, has been with the Red Cross for seven years.
"I joined during Katrina," Jones said. "I told my wife, 'This is our way of giving back.' Ever since then, I've been going out and deploying."
The crews are trained in setting up shelters in disaster areas, and in feeding large amounts of disaster victims.
As early as Wednesday, the Red Cross trucks will drive through parts of Louisiana that Hurricane Isaac has impacted, and provide supplies and food. They will also help those with emotional and mental wounds caused by the storm.
"We can't ignore that today is the anniversary of Katrina hitting that same area," Red Cross spokesman Cameron Ballantyne said. "A lot of people are going to remember the experiences they had and what happened in the last seven years."