Local volunteers answer call to help Sandy victims - 13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

Dozens of local volunteers have answered the call and a handful of them were at ISOH Impact on Tuesday night, organizing supplies to send to storm victims along the east coast.

"Right now, they're sorting socks for Keeping Kids Kozy, and of course, we're rolling everything in for disaster relief because it was a super storm," Dr. Linda Greene, President and CEO of ISOH Impact, said.

Sandy has now moved away from the hardest hit areas, like the Jersey Shore and New York City.  But the storm has left people homeless and millions in the dark.

"I had already known something was going to happen," Greene said. "I had already been talking to people that we needed more stuff so we could respond."

ISOH plans to send buckets filled with supplies to help those who lost everything in Sandy's fury.  Other local organizations are also stepping up.  Nationwide, the American Red Cross has deployed more than 1300 disaster workers to the affected region.  In fact, three from Northwest Ohio left Tuesday afternoon.

Even the nation's leaders are putting politics aside to get those on the east coast the help they need.

During a stop in Bowling Green, Arizona Senator John McCain said, "I think its appropriate for us to do what we can to donate whatever we can.  People are going to be without necessities for a period of time."

President Obama has canceled campaign stops to tend to Sandy's aftermath.  He says, "my message to the federal government: no bureaucracy, no red tape, get resources where they're needed, as fast as possible, as hard as possible and for the duration.