"We always need nurses, disaster mental health services, licensed social workers,"
This is especially important in shelters where the stress and lack of space can cause problems when you can have more than 500 people sharing the same room.
"We make it a point to always have health service personnel at a shelter and we try to always have mental health or mental behavioral folks if not at the shelter then accessible by phone.
Paul is a part of that mental health team.
He tries to get evacuees staying positive and looking forward.
"What we have to do is get people to stop thinking about how terrible it was that you had to evacuate and start thinking what do I want my life to look like from here on"
Volunteering isn't for everyone. the conditions just as bad as they are for the victims.
"No electricity, and they would be staying in a staff shelter...which means they'd be sleeping on a cot"
"You never know when you're gonna have to pick up and move. And whatever it is you got you gotta take with you."
If your not in a shelter you could find yourself driving an emergency vehicile....into flooded and potentially dangerous areas.
But people who've volunteered before during a natural disaster say the risk and the sacrifice are well worth it.
"It's very rewarding, there is nothing else like it. And that's what most of the volunteers will say that's why they volunteer"
To volunteer/donate click here.
