SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Local relief organization Convoy of Hope is gathering supplies and volunteers to send to Florida.

The organization said their plan is to position itself outside of the storm zone, so teams can move in quickly once the hurricane passes.

“We’re moving down into Birmingham and that’s where we will spend the night, we’ll get up tomorrow, we’ll be watching the weather, we’ll drive into Florida, and as the storm moves up north and east, we expect that we will follow it down. And find exactly where the worst of it is and where we need to go,” said Ethan Forhetz, National Spokesperson for Convoy of Hope.

City Utilities is also sending crews to the Sunshine State to help restore power after Idalia makes landfall.

“We’re blessed with great support from the Ozarks, the Springfield area, because it’s homebase for Convoy of Hope,” Forhetz said. “They know that they can trust us when something happens, more than 91 cents for every dollar goes where the donor wants it to go, we work hard to maintain that.”

If you’re interested in donating to help survivors of Idalia, there are a number of ways to give. You can donate over the phone by calling 417-823-8998 or you can give online by going to Convoy of Hope’s website.