Fifth Southern Ariz. Red Cross volunteer joins Hurricane Sandy relief efforts
Reporter: Justin Schecker
Web Producer: Mekita Rivas
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - The Southern Arizona chapter of the Red Cross deployed its fifth volunteer Monday morning to join in relief efforts in the areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy.
Barbara Else is a mental health worker. She flew from Tucson International Airport to Northern New Jersey, where her responsibilities will be to provide counseling for responders and victims of Hurricane Sandy.
She lived in northern New Jersey during the September 11 attacks and helped out with the post-9/11 relief efforts. That experience inspired her to volunteer with the Red Cross.
"I expect there will be isolated areas where things are pretty dire strait and other areas that are doing real well," Else told 9 on Your Side. "I think at this point in the disaster response, people are getting frustrated because of the fuel situation so I'll be doing a lot of psycho education, psycho social support, patience, coping and stress reduction."
Another group of four Red Cross volunteers left for the East Coast over the weekend. They're driving cross-country in two emergency response vehicles. Once they arrive in New York, they will head to the central staging area where FEMA and the Red Cross are joining forces.
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