Around 20 Red Cross volunteers from Iowa are in Texas, helping victims of devastating flooding from Tropical Storm Harvey along the Gulf Coast. Marty Schiessl of Dubuque spoke with KCRG-TV this (past) weekend shortly before driving an Emergency Response Vehicle to Houston. He said preparation is key. “You prepare the best you can and then just go with the changes as they come about,” Schiessl said.

This is his ninth national deployment and Schiessl was told he’d be serving food to those in need. “We’ll be going not only to the temporary shelters that they have set up for the affected people who had to evacuate but also as the people get back into their neighborhoods and start fixing up their damaged homes we’ll be going through and feeding house to house,” Schiessl explained.

Schiessl told KCRG he volunteers simply because he enjoys helping people and he encourages other Iowans to give it try.  “If anyone has time in their life to help out and become a volunteer, you know take the time to do that. Get some training and help out and make a difference in your world,” Schiessl said.

In addition to the 20 volunteers, four Emergency Response Vehicles from Iowa are in Texas.

(KCRG via Radio Iowa)