Video: Volunteer Efforts Being Coordinated by Tupelo Red Cross Office

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TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) -A local American Red Cross office is the epicenter for relief efforts for those impacted by tornadoes and floods. Volunteers from around the area, state and the country are using the Tupelo American Red Cross office as a base for relief operations.

Teams meet each morning, and head out to areas affected by the weather. They help coordinate temporary housing, help with food distribution and other tasks.

Officials encourage those who want to help to call their local Red Cross office and they also say it’s better to donate money, than to donate clothes, water and other items.

“People often ask, what do people need,toothbrush, tarps, and so on, and those are needed, but it’s also great to be able to give families the opportunity to figure out what they need, so with a little bit of money they can buy the socks, exactly the kind of things that will help them be a little more comfortable as they try to figure things out.”

The Tupelo office is expected to coordinate relief efforts throughout the area for the next week.