Both individuals and organizations from the Santa Barbara area traveled to the East Coast last week to help residents prepare for and clean up after Hurricane Irene, which cut power to millions, triggered massive flooding, and left 40 people dead. Direct Relief International, California’s largest medical relief organization, was on-scene well before the storm hit, distributing Hurricane Preparation Packs to 17 health facilities in eight states. The Central Coast’s Red Cross office sent AmeriCorps staff member and Santa Maria native Christa Macdonald to North Carolina, and Santa Barbara resident Ben King flew out on 8/30 to join New York volunteers in distributing bulk supplies.
