WHEELING, W.Va. (WTRF) – Wildfires in Maui continue to destroy parts of Hawaii and the American Red Cross is already on the ground trying to help those affected with anything they need – and one local resident is making the journey to help. 

Ra Lene Henthorn is the disaster program specialist at the Ohio Valley American Red Cross and will be one of around 200 outside volunteers traveling to Hawaii for the next three weeks to assist the Red Cross in the response phase of disaster relief.

She says that many local volunteers in Hawaii have been affected themselves and she is prepared for the worst but hoping for the best. 

“My everyday job is working in disaster. I focus my efforts on preparing volunteers to go and respond to things that happen every day around here – home fires, floods, things that would displace their families – so, this is just a bigger scale of that. I’ve been doing this for now a little over three years. So, I’m ready and willing and able to go. I’m filling in that gap that’s needed.”

Ra Lene Henthorn – Disaster Program Specialist, Ohio Valley American Red Cross

Henthorn says the number one need right now is financial support. For more information on how to donate, click here.