TAMPA, Fla. — Speaking at a news conference Wednesday to give updates on Hurricane Ian's impact on Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state is looking for volunteers to assist people recovering from the hurricane.
People can sign up through Volunteer Florida to lend a helping hand, and there are different types of roles for people to sign up for.
Those who wish to volunteer must provide where they would like to work and what kind of role they would like to operate in.
Below are the several volunteer opportunities available and their locations:
- Red Cross Shelter Volunteer - Virtual
- Red Cross Disaster Volunteer - Sebring
- Hurricane Ian Salvation Army - Fort Myers
- Disaster Mental Health Services - Tampa, Orlando, Sarasota, Daytona Beach and Winter Haven
- Disaster Action Team Responder - Melbourne
People also have the option to donate to the Florida Disaster Fund, which helps communities across the state recover from emergency situations, according to Volunteer Florida. Donation amounts range from $25 to $5,000.
"The Florida Disaster Fund distributes funds to service organizations that will serve individuals within their communities with disaster response and recovery," Volunteer Florida said on its website.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, has a list of vetted organizations to which donations can be made and with which people can volunteer. To learn more about disaster aid, click here.
To learn more about volunteering, donations and Volunteer Florida, click here.