Longtime local volunteers Ron Chwojdak, left, and Laurie Hagen departed on Sunday from Silver Creek to help with relief efforts from the impact of Hurricane Ian in Florida. Submitted Photo

SILVER CREEK — The Red Cross of Western New York sent more than 20 disaster volunteers to provide relief to those affected by Hurricane Ian, and two of them came from right here in Chautauqua County.

Longtime local volunteers Ron Chwojdak and Laurie Hagen departed on Sunday from Silver Creek with one of the Red Cross’ Emergency Response Vehicles. The duo took one of three vehicles from our region to help deliver meals and critical supplies to those impacted in some of the hardest hit areas.

Chwojdak and Hagen traveled to Orlando, then onward to the Fort Myers Beach region to assist with the ongoing relief efforts.

There are 80 emergency response vehicles from across the country to assist with this aspect of the relief efforts. Since Hurricane Ian made landfall, the Red Cross and teams like Chwojdak and Hagen have helped to deliver more than 200,000 meals to families impacted, according to Meg Rossman, Regional Communications Manager of American Red Cross, Western New York Region.

Chwojdak previously assisted the Red Cross with relief efforts in 2017 when Hurricane Harvey struck Texas and Louisiana.