(WFSB) - As Hurricane Helene makes landfall in Florida, Connecticut groups are racing down south to help families in need.
AmeriCares is a medical-based disaster relief group.
The destruction from Helene will inevitably leave some without their important medications, so AmeriCares is helping fill the lost prescriptions.
Mariel Fonteyn, Americares Director of Emergency Response, has seen her share of hurricanes.
"I was in Florida for Hurricane Michael, Hurricane Ian, Hurricane Idalia," Fonteyn said.
But Fonteyn is putting her expertise to use by sending an AmeriCares team, a medical and health non-profit, down to Florida.
AmeriCares teams will head to pharmacies and clinics to get their operations up and running amid so much turmoil.
"We are going to help clinics who provide that care reopen as quickly as possible. Make sure they have supplies they need, medicines on hand," Fonteyn said.
Fonteyn says around 200 of their partners down south have already been contacted for assistance.
Come Saturday, her teams will help Florida residents who may have lost everything regain their health.
"People who have medical needs prior to a devastating storm like this, the needs still exist afterward. They just may have lost the ability to maintain their health or access medicines. Many people may have evacuated or not taken medicine with them," Fonteyn explained.
Once it's established what medications are needed, they'll be processed and shipped from Stamford. Then, clinics can start restocking.
As the strenuous rebuilding process from Hurricane Helene begins, Fonteyn says there is no timetable on how long her non-profit group will be in Florida.
She says as long as there is a need, they will be there.