BE TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AFTER DARK. HELP FOR FLORIDA IS POURING IN FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING FROM RIGHT HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO’S ALREADY JOINED OUR FUNDRAISING DRIVE. NEW HAMPSHIRE HELPS VICTIMS OF HURRICANE IAN. THE TELETHON THAT STARTED AT 5:00 THIS MORNING HAS ALREADY RAISED. NEARLY $32,000. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND WE’RE SO HAPPY TO BE JOINED NOW BY STEPHANIE COUTURIER WITH THE RED CROSS TO TALK ABOUT THE RELIEF WORK UNDERWAY IN FLORIDA. AND FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE TO SAY THANKS TO PEOPLE WHO’VE DONATED ALREADY. JEAN, IT’S BEEN TREMENDOUS TO SEE THE OUTPOURING OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE COMMUNITY HERE SUPPORTING RESIDENTS DOWN SOUTH IN FLORIDA. SO, YES, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO’S CONTRIBUTED SO FAR. AND WE SHOULD SAY WE HAVE NEW HAMPSHIRE VOLUNTEERS ALREADY ON THE GROUND THERE. AND THEY ARE HARD AT WORK AT THIS HOUR. THEY ARE. WE HAD SOME DEPLOY PRE LANDFALL AND OTHERS STAYED BACK UNTIL IT WAS SAFE TO FLY DOWN. AND THEY’RE NOW BOOTS ON THE GROUND. WE HAVE SEVEN OF OUR OWN NEW HAMPSHIRE RESIDENTS HELPING THE IMPACTED AREAS, DOING THE WORK THAT’S NEEDED TO START THE RECOVERY PROCESS. IT’S JUST INCREDIBLE TO THINK THAT PEOPLE HERE ARE RED CROSS VOLUNTEERS DROPPED THEIR LIVES TO GO HELP THEIR FELLOW AMERICANS. WE TALKED TO LINDA FROM LACONIA NORMAN FROM MANCHESTER. DEB FROM PETERBOROUGH. THEY WERE TELLING US ABOUT THE SHELTERS THAT ARE SET UP THERE BY THE RED CROSS. TELL US ABOUT THOSE. SO THESE SHELTERS WE HAD PRE EVACUATIONS, SHELTERS WHERE WE HAD UPWARDS OF 30,000 RESIDENTS AT THE HEIGHT OF THE STORM. RIGHT BEFORE LANDFALL. AND NOW WE’RE SEEING THOSE NUMBERS DIMINISH BUT INCREASE. PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO GO BACK TO THEIR HOMES AND REALIZING THAT THEY STILL DON’T HAVE POWER. THERE’S NO FOOD NEARBY. AND SO THEY’RE COMING BACK TO OUR SHELTERS WHERE WE CAN PROVIDE THAT COMFORT AND CARE THAT WARMS YOU AND THAT THAT HUG AND SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED. IT REALLY IS IT REALLY IS A LIFESAVER. WE HAVE FUN ON THE SCREEN BECAUSE I JUST FOUND THIS SO FASCINATING, WHAT YOUR DONATIONS COULD ACTUALLY PROVIDE. I MEAN, A FULL DAY OF MEALS AND SHELTER FOR A FAMILY FOR $200. IF YOU HAVE $5 TO GIVE. HOW ABOUT A BLANKET FOR A SHELTER GUESTS, A BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER FOR A SHELTER? GET $20 OR THESE CLEANUP KITS, WHICH WE’RE HEARING ARE SO BADLY NEEDED, $26. I MEAN, EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS. EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS. I’M A MOM. AND I THINK ABOUT THE FAMILIES THAT ARE GOING TO THE SHELTER, THOSE BLANKETS FOR JUST $5, HAVING COMFORT AND CARE, WRAPPING THEIR CHILD UP SO THAT THEY CAN SLEEP AT NIGHT AS GOES A LONG WAY. WE HEARD FROM THE VOLUNTEERS THAT THEY ARE MEETING A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY FEELING IN DESPAIR WHEN THEY COME TO THE SHELTERS AND ARE JUST HAVING A BLANKET AND A SAFE PLACE TO SLEEP IS SO IMPORTANT TO THEM. THERE ARE ACTUALLY THOUSANDS OF VOLUNTEERS FROM THE RED CROSS THERE RIGHT NOW. THERE ARE THERE’S OVER 1500 ON THE GROUND. WE ARE LOOKING AT THIS AS A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT. WE EXPECT THE RECOVERY TO LAST INTO THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY AND POSSIBLY EVEN INTO CHRISTMAS. AND SO WE ARE RIGHT NOW ACTUALLY ACTIVELY RECRUITING VOLUNTEERS. WE’RE GOING TO BE NEEDING TO SEND WAVES OF NEW SUPPORT TO THESE VOLUNTEERS ARE COMMITTING TO WEEKS AT A TIME. AND SO THEY GET TIRED. YEAH, IT IS IT IS A LOT TO DEAL WITH EMOTIONALLY, PHYSICALLY. ANYTHING YOU’D WANT TO SAY TO THE PEOPLE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE ABOUT WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO HELP OUT OUR OUR FELLOW AMERICANS IN FLORIDA? THIS IS PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE, REALLY, THE HUMANITY AND SPIRIT AND ACTION. AND SO WHETHER IT’S A GIFT OF $5 OR YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A VOLUNTEER AND JOIN THE WORK FORCE TO HELP ON THE GROUND OR EVEN DONATING BLOOD. BLOOD IS SO NEEDED AT THIS TIME RIGHT NOW AS WELL. SO TURNING THAT COMPASSION INTO ACTION. I LOVE SO MANY WAYS THAT YOU CAN HELP. THANK YOU. TO THE AMERICAN RED CROSS. WE’RE SO PROUD TO BE PARTNERING WITH YOU TODAY FOR THIS TELETHON. WE CAN’T THANK YOU ENOUGH AND THANK YOU TO