JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Even before Hurricane Ian made landfall, Mark Greenberg was making his own moves to mobilize a response as a volunteer for the American Red Cross.
"It's much different than anything I ever experienced," Greenberg said.
He's a recent transplant from Pennsylvania and this is his first post-hurricane clean-up. He's part of a damage assessment team that is taking him to Putnam County.
Greenberg began volunteering with the organization in 2018, remembering how the Red Cross helped his hometown after flooding in the 1970's.
"I learned at a young age what devastation can be like and I remember the Red Cross and what they did and how they came in," Greenberg told First Coast News.
He is just one of many who answered the call this time and the CEO of the North Florida chapter is hoping for more.
"We always need more disaster workers. We always need more case workers, people that want to connect with the families," said Christian Smith.
Smith is also looking for mental health workers to not only respond to natural disasters, but for everyday needs including families forced from their homes because of fires. It's those boots on the ground Smith says that must be ready at a moment's notice.
"We are always in that fine line of balancing, sending volunteers to impacted areas that are so close," she said.
Greenberg plans to finish his assignment in Putnam County early next week before being deployed somewhere else.
It's an assignment he takes seriously as people look to him as a guiding light during what can be a very dark time. "I think we all have to give back at some point. I think it's an altruistic spirit," Greenberg said.
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