Volunteer work dragged Larry Boyer and Mike Wood all over the country.

"I feel like I can't ask for a better partner. I got the perfect one. We drive each other nuts but we get along really good," Red Cross Volunteer Mike Wood said.

The St. Louis Red Cross workers started their relief efforts in Shreveport.

"I've had people ask me before, 'Why do you do it? Why do you come down here for free?' they ask 'What do we owe you?' I always tell them I work for hugs, that's what I work for," said Wood.

After loading the trucks, the duo headed southeast for Baton Rouge.

Louisiana's capital city took perhaps the biggest beating from Gustav.

"The biggest challenge right now is getting your home cleaned up," said Baton Rouge resident Louis Reine.

Roy Gillespie is also among the 13 St. Louis volunteers in Louisiana. He vividly remembers his Katrina experience.

"After re-checking the house, we found the mother and father in the second-floor bedroom - dead. And they had been there for about two to three weeks," said Gillespie.

Gillespie said the first thing he thought was prayer.

"When you go out on a disaster, you understand what it feels like to have lost everything, so you have this feeling of immediate response and compassion," said Gillespie.

Ninety minutes west in Lafayette, the East Bayou Baptist Ministry Center lends its building to the Red Cross.

That's where Mike and Larry got their next assignment.

They helped local volunteers at a nearby food station.

With Hurricane Ike approaching, the St. Louis Red Cross now has 22 volunteers spread along the Gulf Coast.

As for Mike and Larry, they're working in Baton Rouge until Ike hits, then they're off to Texas.