Since last weekend, we have watched the news in horror as Texas communities surrounding our city went up in flames. Family had been evacuated from their homes; friends had bags packed, waiting for evacuation orders; we saw beautiful land and even a state park engulfed in flames and knew that hundreds of homes had been completely lost, thousands of people displaced. We felt helpless—until it became clear that there is always something we can do.
In disasters like the ones we've seen hitting our homes across the country, from hurricanes to earthquakes to tornadoes to wildfires, there's always one very important thing that every person can do.
Share and give your own belongings! Donate clothes, linens, and even housewares to people who have lost their homes. Think about small kids, teenagers, the elderly, and pets, too. Find out what's in greatest need in your area and donate what you can, with one very important caveat: be sure to follow all instructions on where to take the donations, so as not to hinder any relief efforts on the ground.
Get your friends and neighbors involved to make an even larger donation, and designate one or two people to make the appropriate drop-off, closely heeding officials' instructions. If you can't give things, donate money or gift cards to grocery stores through a reputable charity.
The American Red Cross in your area will have up-to-date information on clothing, item, and food donations, as will local news affiliates. To help the thousands of people affected by wildfires in Texas, check out this page of volunteer information at the Statesman.
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(Image: Deanna Roy, who asks that if this photo moved you, please make a donation to the Red Cross of Central Texas.)
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I just called the American Red Cross here in Dallas, TX and the lady said that they are only taking monetary donations at this time.
The Red Cross usually does not take item donations, and even if they do, they almost always only accept brand new items.
If you want to help, go with smaller charities. Church charity groups are a great resource to redistribute needed goods and food, even if you're not religious. (When our town was flooded, we got SO much more help from them that the Red Cross...) I totally understand being a bit iffy about religious groups but they can get people on the ground quickly.
Animal rescue groups are another resource that can do a lot of good - they will weep in joy to see donations of towels, and sheets that bigger charities wouldn't even look at.
There are other secular charities where your help can do a lot of good as well. It doesn't hurt to look up charities based around something you care about and see if they're working in the area.
For example, CERF, the Craft Emergency Relief Fund, was AMAZING for helping my parents (craft artists) get back on their feet and get back to work after fixing a lot of the storm damage.
There must be other charities looking for donations......ideally I'd drive down there and hand stuff to people. It's the one way to guarantee they get it. Of course we are very close to Vermont so I shall at least do that. Thank you for reminding us of this. Also anything we can do to stop global warming is important.
The Salvation Army helps families rebuild after fires and other natural disasters.
I wanted to add - make sure you look at the charity's wishlist or call them. I worked at the animal shelter and a lot of people either gave us basically a bag of garbage (ripped and dirty blankets, etc) or stuff we could not use (opened bags of pet food, prohibited for health reasons). Make sure what you give them is what they asked for. And research the charity before you give money so you don't give to a corrupt organization. I donated my car to Sea Shephard Society thinking they were peaceful. They're not, sadly.
Thank you for posting this and warming this Texans heart.
For those of us that are local - a lot of radio stations are setting up shop for donations (Houston's 93Q was at a firestation in Spring this morning collecting just about anything - clothes, toilet paper, diapers, snacks (jerky, energy bars, etc) and water/gatorade for the firefighters.
Austin's 98.1 and 100.7 have been constantly broadcasting updates about how to help with the Bastrop fires.
And it's not just the people - pets and livestock have been misplaced too. Austin Pet's Alive has taken the task of taking in all the lost dogs.
There is a group of crafters that are making handmade blankets to give to the families who have lost their homes. It is their way of doing what they know how to do, and giving in times of need. I found them through Ravelry, and I am working on a blanket to send.
http:\\blanketsforbastrop.wordpress.com