Hurricane Harvey: How you can help

By
Casey Dolan
-

After seeing the historic flooding and rain unfolding in Texas from the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, you, being a good person, probably want to help. Here are a few ways to do that.

Donate Money

There are multiple organizations with volunteers on the ground helping those affected by the storms.  Vox has a list of many of those here.  GoFundMe has a listing of current campaigns here.

Be sure to do your research before giving as, unfortunately, there are always scams that pop up after a major disaster.  Always check with GiveWell, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, or the Better Business Bureau before donating.

Give Blood

LifeStream is extending their hours Tuesday through Thursday at their La Quinta location as well as four other Inland Empire locations.  You can find more information and schedule an appointment here.

Volunteer

The Red Cross is currently training volunteers to help with a fast-track course in San Antonio.  You can sign up to be a Red Cross volunteer here.  Volunteer Houston has launched a VIRTUAL Volunteer Reception Center to aid non-profits and agencies in finding potential volunteers to assist.

Animals Need Help Too

If you would like to help animals suffering from the disaster, you can donate to the Houston Humane Society or the San Antonio Humane Society.

We know many are concerned for the animals at the shelter. We have a few good news items to share today (and we could ALL use some good news). First, we can't help but feel hope and confidence we will ALL weather this storm when we drove up to the shelter this morning and were greeted by our American flag waving proudly. The BIG thing – the shelter has not flooded! animals are safe, dry, well-cared for, & staying comfortable. Our property is another story. Our retention pond is full & walking trails, dog park, and meet and greet pens are under water. In the grand scheme of things, we count ourselves lucky. we took in 58 animals from La Porte Animal Control on Thursday ahead of the storm. We have heard the area around La Porte has been hit hard, & we're happy to report all of those animals are at HHS and safe. Roads getting to the shelter are flooded. This morning, our Medical Director was able to find a route down Almeda to get in to check on every animal, & we have several staff members on site medicating, cleaning, feeding, and caring for each one. We are working with a national team to connect to other shelters to transport many of our current residents north of us. This will allow us to free up much needed space for strays. Once flood waters recede, we are working to be ready to help shelter animals displaced by Harvey. many of you know we partner with @elgatocoffeehouse in the Heights. Prior to major rain, our staff relocated the cafe residents to the shelter in case the Heights flooded. The residents are settled in 3 of our overflow cat rooms and safe. Stay strong, everyone. We'll get through this together. The animals need us, and we need you. Brighter days are ahead. We'll post more as we have it. As many have asked, we are working to get an @amazon wish list together. In the interim, a list of most needed supplies: The biggest need will be food: Dog, cat, puppy, kitten, (wet & dry) as well as puppy & kitten milk for abandoned babies that will come in. In addition, dry hay and sweet feed or one n only for livestock and cleaning supplies like bleach, towels, & tide. #Harvey #houstonweather #HoustonHumaneSociety

A post shared by Houston Humane Society (@houstonhumane) on

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR