West Ala. Red Cross volunteers head to Miss. for tornado recover - WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, AL

West Ala. Red Cross volunteers head to Miss. for tornado recovery

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By Kelvin Reynolds - bio | email
One of the Red Cross' emergency response vehicles ready to hit the road. Source: WBRC video One of the Red Cross' emergency response vehicles ready to hit the road. Source: WBRC video
TUSCALOOSA, AL (WBRC) -

Five days after a tornado rips through Mississippi, volunteers are still pouring into Hattiesburg.

That includes four West Alabama Red Cross volunteers who left Tuscaloosa today in two emergency response vehicles. They're loaded with food, water and other essentials for storm survivors.

"People are still out there cleaning up from the storm. So they need food, they need water, they need hot meals, they need snacks, things like that. So our ERV, emergency response vehicle, will be out in those areas," Holli Maxwell said.

Ro Ford is one of this first group going to Mississippi. The 66-year-old feels compelled to help others and signed up to work as an unpaid volunteer when the Red Cross laid her off as a paid employee in 2008.

"The Red Cross has a mission and I believe in the mission of the Red Cross. I believe that we should do everything we can to help our neighbors," Ford said.

It's unclear how long these volunteers will be in Hattiesburg but Ford said she packed for 21 days. Three weeks is longest volunteers are usually on site before the Red Cross tells them to return home and recharge for the next disaster response.

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