KLCC News

Portland couple prepares to deploy on Red Cross relief mission for victims of Hurricane Ian

KLCC | By Tiffany Eckert

Published September 28, 2022 at 7:30 PM PDT

Chris and Amber Schwarzkopf are Red Cross volunteers mobilizing for a two-week relief mission to Florida to help during and after Hurricane Ian.

The American Red Cross is mobilizing trained volunteers from Oregon to provide disaster relief as Hurricane Ian ravages Florida.

Red Cross Cascades Region has deployed emergency volunteers from across Oregon to provide disaster relief in Florida communities hit by Hurricane Ian. Here, volunteers work through the night to prepare food packages for shelters.

The Red Cross Cascades Region already has seven emergency volunteers on the ground with 20 more trained responders on standby.

Amber and Chris Schwarzkopf run last minute errands—preparing to ship out from Portland. The retired couple described how they are ready to assist displaced Floridians.

“We have classes for sheltering and the sheltering involves food handling,” Amber said. “And for the LGBTQ community, like how do you handle any issues that would come up so that they’re really comfortable.”

Chris added, “Since I was a forklift driver in the past, I do warehouse work for logistics so we can send products to the shelters.”

Amber and Chris Schwarzkopf are trained Red Cross volunteers. They have supported numerous disaster relief and humanitarian missions from fires to floods to unaccompanied child migrant refuge. Now, they are readying to depart for Florida to provide aid to residents during and after Hurricane Ian.

Along with the Schwarzkopfs, Red Cross volunteers have been mobilized from Bend, Eugene, and Medford, to provide disaster relief during and after the catastrophic storm.