MAUI, Hawaii (KERO) — Some Kern County residents are helping those in Maui following the devastating wildfires, however, one volunteer is looking forward to taking the next couple of weeks to decompress at home with family.
Manuel Lerma, 75, has been a volunteer with the Red Cross for the past eight years. He recently returned home after spending three weeks assisting residents who were impacted by the fires in Honolulu and Maui.
According to Lerma, he spent his first week working at a shelter but soon became the manager of a staff shelter for other volunteers.
“We had about 120 Red Cross volunteers," said Lerma. "We had 100 military soldiers supporting the efforts there in Maui and about 30 to 40 law enforcement. They were all hosting us there, so I managed that shelter ensuring that people had a place to stay, our Red Cross volunteers and all the other folks. Then, of course, providing the basics, coffee, and snacks and refreshments.”
Lerma says that in total, there were roughly 300 people helping in this operation. They were able to provide more than 400,000 meals and snacks to people in need, according to Lerma.
Lerma says the hardest part of the job is seeing the heartbreak and devastation in the community. At the same time, he says that being able to see his work pay off in the end is the incentive that keeps him going.
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