The Red Cross says four volunteers from southern Minnesota have been deployed to the east coast to help with recovery from Hurricane Sandy which made landfall Monday evening.
                    
One volunteer is from Stewartville, one from Rochester, and the other two are from Mankato and New Ulm.  Almost 200 Red Cross emergency response vehicles are mobilizing around the country to distribute meals and relief supplies after the storm passes. Thousands of ready-to-eat meals are being sent to the the region.
                    
If you would like to help out you can do it online or by text, and even by telephone.  You can visit redcross.org, call 1-800-Red Cross, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a ten dollar donation.

Hurricane Sandy has also forced the cancellation of approximately 300 American Red Cross blood drives in 14 states along the East Coast, resulting in a shortfall of nearly 9,000 blood and platelet donations already.

The shortfall is expected to grow as Sandy is causing power outages and flooding in many areas. All eligible donors in unaffected parts of the country are encouraged to roll up a sleeve and give blood or platelets.