ATLANTA — Much more than supplies are heading from Georgia to Kentucky in the aftermath of tornadoes that have claimed nearly 100 lives.
Men and women from the metro Atlanta area are hitting the road so they can help families affected by the storms.
The American Red Cross had boots on the ground as soon as the tornado hit, but every day there is a need for more help, so metro Atlanta volunteers are answering the call.
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“When I got the call in Atlanta asking if I would consider coming to Kentucky, of course, the wheels began to move,” American Red Cross volunteer Janice Vannatta told Channel 2′s Michele Newell.
Ditching her Christmas plans was the least of Vannatta’s worries because she knows the best gift she can give is herself.
“During this holiday season, we will be here and we will do everything we can to provide service to these communities,” she said.
Ten American Red Cross volunteers from metro Atlanta and north Georgia are already in Kentucky and many more are on their way.
Vannatta says she got a call on Sunday to go and help and left Atlanta Monday morning.
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Newell asked Vannatta what it was like driving into Kentucky on Monday.
“There were homes that looked destroyed. There were trees chopped off at the center and now they look like sticks out of the ground,” she described.
Vannatta and her fellow volunteers are traveling to some of the hardest hit areas on Tuesday.
“I’ll really be able to see some of the damage and devastation that is heartbreaking,” she told Newell.
She says that her focus is going to be on figuring out what the greatest needs are, which is crucial information she plans on getting from state and local leaders.
Other American Red Cross volunteers are providing emotional support, shelter and much more.
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The Red Cross says they have sent more than 200 units of blood to hospitals in Kentucky, but there is a need for more.
For other ways you can help, click here.
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