Hurricane Harvey relief efforts have been pouring in ever since the natural disaster swept through the southern U.S., hitting hardest along the Texas coast. Citizens of Houston, Rockport and more have been shaken to their core as feet upon feet of water has swept into their homes, destroying their homes, and leaving them, in many cases, completely without shelter.
It is times like this that the rest of the American population will stand up and help the victims of this horrible tragedy. And this particular instance is no exception. People have been donating money right and left to organizations to help repair the damage done, and to help feed, clothe, and shelter the victims.
However, many others have been wondering what the best way is to provide relief. Many people feel as though they want to help out, but aren’t too sure what the best use is of their time, energy, and finances.
It’s important that we step up and do all we can to help these victims in the after-effects of this crisis. After all, if the roles were switched and you were the one in trouble, you can bet you’d be hoping for others to help you and your family survive. That’s why I want to share this list with you about…
The 10 Best Ways To Help Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts
Be Cautious Before You Donate Your Hard-Earned Money
Before we start in on this list, I want to make something quite clear to you. Wanting to help out these victims financially is a beautiful thing. A wonderful thing. But you must be very, very smart with your money, and choose the organization you’re donating to wisely. That’s because not everyone who’s willing to take your money to help the victims is worth supporting.
For instance, some organizations – the most well-known ones that have the brightest reputations – are equally some of the organizations that misuse their money and don’t give nearly as much money to relief efforts as you think they do. Instead, they fill their CEO’s pockets, and only give a few cents worth to the people who actually need it.
Here’s a chart to help you understand how some of the biggest relief organizations use their money (for better and for worse):
1 – Donate To A Worthy Organization
As you can see in the chart above, some of the most well-known organizations spend little to nothing on actual relief, in comparison to how much money they pay for CEO compensation. That’s why it’s crucial to donate to a cause that can provide the maximum dollars for what’s really important – helping these victims survive.
Choose one of the organizations in green in the chart above, or do your own research and donate to a separate organization that does a lot of good. By knowing more about how these organizations spend their money, the more we can make sure we’re giving our hard-earned money to a worthy cause.
2 – Support Companies That Support Relief Efforts
It’s always surprising to me just how many companies (both large and small) step up to the plate and donate proceeds to the victims of natural disasters (including Hurricane Harvey). This really shows the public they care more about others in need than they do selfishly filling their own pockets.
Do your research and find companies you already love (like restaurants, merchandise stores, etc.), and purchase their products. This will not only help give you a great purchase, but will also make you feel good knowing they’re donating a percentage of their sales to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey.
For example, Concerned Patriot is donating ALL proceeds from purchases of our new Execution Torch to FeedingTexas.org in order to help give relief to Hurricane Harvey victims! Click this link to see what this awesome self-defense tool is all about (and then purchase a few so we can help donate to those affected by this natural disaster).
3 – Jump In And Help
If you’re in the midst of retirement, or want to use your vacation time to help a worthy cause, the people of Texas can really use your help. Sure, donating money is a great thing to do, but the reality is that what most of these people need is help cleaning up all the debris and wreckage from the disaster.
Bring a group with you (ideally full of physically strong people) and help the folks in Texas pick up the remnants of their homes, buildings, and cities. Not only will you be able to help fulfill an immediate need, but you’ll also be humbled by what you see and the people’s lives you touch while you’re down there. This will most likely make you appreciate what you have even more than ever before.
4 – Donate Blood
The disastrous effects of Hurricane Harvey left many wounded, needing immediate medical care and blood transfusions in order to stay alive. As such, one of the best ways to help out these victims is to donate your blood. Currently, the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center is desperately seeking over 2,000 units of blood – especially O positive and O negative types (but anything helps).
Find a center where you can donate blood to be given directly to the victims of Hurricane Harvey. It’ll only take a few minutes of your time, and this simple act can help save lives.
5 – Donate Packages of New Underwear
When most people think of donating to the relief efforts of a natural disaster, they typically think to give their money or their time. However, one of the things that hardly ever comes to mind that victims need desperately is clean underwear.
Thousands of men, women and children have been affected by Hurricane Harvey. And many of these people are now without clean clothing, including fresh underwear. And with dirty (or no) underwear comes hygienic issues, rashes, and potential diseases.
Think of all the children that have accidents every day in school. Now think of these same kids not being able to simply obtain a fresh pair of underwear to get on with their day.
One of the best ways to donate is to purchase Mens, Womens and Childrens underwear (make sure to purchase varying sizes!) off Amazon, or purchase some from your favorite department store. Then simply ship them to the organization Undies For Everyone.
This incredible organization donates thousands of pairs of clean underwear to Houston and Dallas schools throughout every year. And now they’re donating these pairs to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey feel even more comfortable.
Here’s the address you can ship the underwear to:
Undies for Everyone
1700 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005
6 – Utilize Your Expertise
The disaster of Hurricane Harvey has left thousands of Americans completely distraught with physical, mental and emotional scars. That’s why, if you’re a licensed medical professional or licensed social worker in the city of Houston (or one of the other affected cities), the victims of Hurricane Harvey need your help.
By donating your time and expertise to these families, you can help them begin to restore their bodies to physical health, help ease the emotional pain and mental strain from the trauma, and help them begin to slowly rebuild their lives.
7 – Donate Food
Hurricane Harvey has left thousands and thousands of Americans stranded and homeless, without any extra food to survive. This is truly a terrible thing.
As a result, many organizations like FeedTexas.org are helping feed the men, women and children who are simply trying to live through the devastation and turmoil.
One of the best ways you can help the victims of Hurricane Harvey is to drop off non-perishable food to your local food bank, or to another organization that puts its food directly in the hands of those in the southern U.S that need it.
Another great way is to donate to FeedTexas.org by way of purchasing an Execution Torch from Concerned Patriot. We’re donating ALL proceeds from the sales of this self-defense tool to Hurricane Harvey victims. Not only will you be helping feed those who desperately need it, but you’ll also be preparing yourself with an excellent self-defense tool. Find out the details here.
8 – Donate Clothing & Diapers
Thousands of people in the souther U.S. are now without fresh, clean, dry clothing thanks to this natural disaster. You can help restore their faith in humanity and help keep them dry by donating new and used clothing.
Diapers are also crucial, as this is one luxury we all take for granted until it’s no longer available to us. One great way to help out in this way is to donate packages of new diapers to The Texas Diaper Bank. Purchase them off Amazon (or at your local department store) and mail them to the following address:
The Texas Diaper Bank: 5415 Bandera Road, Suite 504 San Antonio, Texas 78238
9 – Donate Toys
Many children have been unable to find their parents after the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. As a result, they have been put into orphanages and shelters while rescuers attempt to reconnect their loved ones.
In addition, children that are with their families still get fussy and temperamental, leaving their parents frazzled and stressed, often unable to cope with their behavior, on top of the trauma that has already been occurring.
You can help all of these children in need (as well as their parents) by donating children’s toys. These will help lift the children’s spirits and give them something to do, while distracting them – even for a few minutes from the destruction all around them. This can also be a godsend for parents, who can now refocus their attention to dealing with rebuilding their lives.
10 – Donate Supplies
There are countless other supplies that you can donate to help the survivors of this horrible natural disaster. For example, the Austin Disaster Relief Network is asking items such as toiletries, cleaning tools, undergarments, inflatable mattresses, bleach, and hand sanitizer (to name a few). However, their website lists many more items you can help donate.
In addition, the Coastal Bend Disaster Recovery Group is asking for construction clean-up supplies, including forklifts, ladders, nail guns, and debris containers.
Hurricane Harvey is just one example of how life can change in an instant. And it can happen to any of us at any time. And when it does we will be eternally grateful to other Americans that took the time to chip in their money, time, and resources to help us survive. Do your part today by donating in at least one of these ways.
