Las Cruces Red Cross offers ‘virtual’ volunteer help during pandemic

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- In her eleven years as a volunteer for the American Red Cross, Bonnie Hoover has seen firsthand disaster from coast to coast.

"I put myself in their shoes," Hoover explained. "How would I feel if everything I worked my whole life for is just gone?"

However, Hurricane Laura is striking the U.S. during a pandemic. Hoover told ABC-7 that many Red Cross volunteers feel unsafe traveling at this time.

"The majority of the Red Cross volunteers - I'm not saying all of them - are older retired people," Hoover said. "Some of them have pre-existing conditions. So it's a little bit dicey."

This year, Hoover is staying behind, but still helping virtually from her Las Cruces home.

"Virtually it would be calling the people, and FaceTiming them," Hoover explained. "It's just a friendly face that lets people know, 'Hey, we care about you and what happened to you.'"

Virtual volunteers are also helping provide, "mental health care, disaster management, government liaison, planning and other critical disaster response functions," according to the organization.

If you would like to volunteer for the Red Cross, click here.