How to volunteer in Florida during Hurricane Irma
The Red Cross and Volunteer Florida are accepting applications for volunteers.
— -- Florida Gov. Rick Scott has called for 17,000 volunteers as Hurricane Irma appears poised to make landfall in the Sunshine State this weekend.
"We’re asking for more volunteers. American Red Cross is down here with 1,000 volunteers we’ve had 8 to 9,000 additional people agree to volunteer, I need a total of about 17,000 volunteers," Scott announced this morning on "GMA."
Various evacuations have taken place across multiple counties as the impending storm threatens Florida, sending over 1 million residents to seek shelter out of harm's way.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management has recommended that any person who wishes to volunteer go through the American Red Cross of Volunteer Florida.
The Red Cross is accepting applications online for volunteers needed in Puerto Rico, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia to help with Hurricane Irma relief efforts.
Floridians interested in helping at state shelters can complete training on shelter operations via the Volunteer Florida website and fill out the appropriate registration forms. Once completed volunteers can find local opportunities to affiliated disaster response organizations.
Additionally, state officials have announced that all salaried, non-essential state employees can receive expedited volunteer certifications for disaster services in order to assist in, or operate, shelters in response to Hurricane Irma.