LOUISIANA, USA — Several East Texas organizations and companies sent people to Louisiana as soon as Hurricane Ida passed through. And since many basic necessities aren't available, they're still hard at work.
The Salvation Army and J Starr Ministries are two organizations that have made their way to different parts of Louisiana to help.
"There are people that are homeless, there are people that are struggling to get water, food, different supplies, no electricity, so there are a lot of people that need help and that could be us," Patrick Johnson with J Starr Ministries said.
Johnson is back in East Texas for the moment but is planning to head back to Louisiana on Wednesday. He says the devastation is hard for him to put to words but knows that they need to do all they can to help.
"There's no quick fix, other people are going to need help for a long, long time.nd I don't honestly know how many trips, you know, that we'll make but we're gonna do our part.
The Salvation Army out of East Texas has been in the state for around a week and they've focused on passing out meals according to Operations Chief Jeremy Walker says they've distributed nearly 90,000 meals.
"I've been on the phone with mayors, police chiefs," Walker said. "We're working with different communities when it's safe for us to get in. We're getting in there, and we're feeding. We just do what is needed."
Progress is being made in the state's recovery but the volunteers say normal is still a long way away.
"We're just trying to help our neighbors in need," Walker said.