KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For those seeking federal assistance in the midst of Harvey, they'll most likely speak with a FEMA employee like Alex Anderson, an I.T. specialist turned call taker.
He's one of the 50 FEMA employees at the Kansas City Region 7 office manning the phones since their operation center opened Friday.
"This is where the application comes in where it starts — FEMA assistance to them — whether it's financial assistance or assistance to stay in hotels," Candy Newman, a FEMA individual assistance branch chief said.
Later this week, most of the 250 staffers from the KC office on 92nd street and Ward Parkway will be in Louisiana and Texas.
They don't usually take calls, but when the FEMA office in Denton, Texas gets overloaded with calls, Kansas City steps up.
Because of Harvey, Anderson's niece and three great-nieces are stuck in Houston, he had to help them Wednesday morning.
"I spoke to a lady who transferred me over to the emergency operations so they can send a boat out to go pick her up so I just got off the phone with her not so long ago and she's waiting to get picked up,” Anderson said.
Each call that comes in can take an emotional toll.
"She's telling us everything that is going on in her life at that moment and we're trying to explain to her what we can do to help her get past this," Anderson said.
Resources are needed to provide assistance. But, before you make a donation, research is crucial.
"We want to make sure that an organization that is receiving funding is reputable within the community that we know are helping survivors," Adrian Walker, a FEMA Regional Voluntary Agency Liaison said.
Learn more about how to help at this link.
FEMA continues to do its part.
"I'm here to do what ever I need to do to help as many as I can,” Anderson said.
