COLUMBUS (WCMH) – Eight months into her new job at the American Red Cross, Mary Lynn Foster is taking on her first major humanitarian relief effort as she heads to Texas to help out in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

Foster, who is the chief executive officer of the Ohio Buckeye Region of the American Red Cross, was scheduled to fly to Corpus Christi on Wednesday morning, joining thousands of Red Cross volunteers and staff members from across the country. She described the disaster in Texas and Louisiana as “unprecedented.”

“The need is enormous,” Foster said. “The images that you see, that you’re showing, are just heartbreaking, so really we’re just trying to do whatever we can to really focus on getting people safe, providing comfort and care, and giving them a big hug.”

Foster said she would spend a few weeks in Texas, beginning in Corpus Christi, helping mobilize resources and get relief to people who need it the most. She said the Red Cross began to provide humanitarian relief and get ready for this disaster early last week.

“The biggest challenge right now is what happens after the rain stops this week, hopefully,” Foster said. “This is going to be a long-term relief effort. Hundreds of thousands of people have lost their homes, so the recovery, and what the American Red Cross will be doing, will be happening not for weeks, but it’ll be happening for months, to stabilize and help those who need it the most.”

Foster said the best way for people to contribute is through financial donations.

“They’re immediate and we can get them exactly to folks that need them the most,” Foster said.