MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Hurricane Matthew is a storm so dangerous, people are encouraged to keep their distance.

But two Memphis women are doing just the opposite.

“We are headed to Jacksonville, Florida, and that’s where some of the major damage is expected, so I have been watching that closely,” said Wanda Doyle.

Wanda has been with the Red Cross for nearly 20 years.

She’s helped with major disasters before, like Hurricane Irene.

Now, she’s gearing up to help again by going to the shelters where people have been evacuated by Hurricane Matthew.

But this trip is extra special, as her daughter will be by her side.

“She’s a big part of my life, and so anything she’s involved in I love to join her in, it’s my mother-daughter time with her,” said Chelsea Doyle.

It’s Chelsea’s first time heading to an area affected by disaster.

She said she’s nervous but is eager to help those who are losing everything.

Now she’s just trying to prepare for the realities of destruction.

“Mostly just being in a shelter with a lot of people,” said Chelsea.

The Doyle women will be helping those evacuated with anything they may need, whether that’s food or encouragement.

“It’s amazing being able to help other people,” said Chelsea.

There will be about a dozen people from Memphis helping out with the hurricane by the end of this week.

If you’re interested in going out and helping these people affected by the hurricane, our Memphis Red Cross is holding training sessions next Tuesday and Thursday.

Volunteers only need to attend one training session but need to be able to commit to a two-week assignment in the affected area.

The training sessions are both hosted at the Red Cross Mid-South Chapter, located at 1399 Madison Ave.

The Tuesday session covers shelter fundamentals and runs from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The Thursday session covers disaster assessment basics and runs from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Tiffany Crumpton at 901-672-6354.