Minnesota volunteers head south to help Hurricane Ida victims

(FOX 9) - Volunteers with the Salvation Army are headed to Louisiana to join the recovery effort following Hurricane Ida.

Weeks after Hurricane Ida’s devastating blow to the region, there is still a lot of rebuilding to do. As of Sunday, tens of thousands of people are still without power and so much more.

"Cell service is down, electricity is down, so there’s a scarcity of resources," explained Major Michele Heaver with the Salvation Army.

Major Heaver oversees Emergency Disaster Services for the Salvation Army in Minnesota and North Dakota. It’s a special group of volunteers that respond to some of the most catastrophic events such as tornadoes, wildfires, and hurricanes. So when she got a call asking for help, she knew just what to do.

"I was able to recruit four of my EDS volunteers, three from the Twin Cities, one from Rochester," Major Heaver said.

The four will be feeding Louisiana residents on the mobile feeding unit or what the Salvation Army calls "canteen."

"So they’ll be going out into Gonzalez area and other areas surrounding providing food and hydration for those affected by Ida," said Major Heaver.

The volunteers will be working long hours over the next few days to help feed a community in so much need.

"You bring back those people that you serve right back here in your heart," Major Heaver added. "They become a part of you, but it’s also a privilege to be able to help people who have been impacted in a very substantial way."