If You Want to Help Now and in Future Disasters

If You Want to Help

For this disaster:

Pray
Donate money to a reputable charity
Donate supplies to a reputable charity
Volunteer with an agency/organization that is actively soliciting volunteers for this disaster

Donate and volunteer responsibly: http://ift.tt/2xAI04p

Unless you are with a certified organization/agency, you won’t be allowed in, and if you do manage to get in, you could very well hinder relief and rescue efforts, or even cause harm. Even if you have badly needed professional skills, you need to deploy into the area with an organization. If there is a call for specific professionals, contact whoever is asking for the help. Either they, or someone they are in contact with, are credentialed to provide relief/recovery assistance.

Here is an article that explains why self-deployment into a disaster area is a no-no. http://ift.tt/2wfZweR

Contact sites/numbers for volunteering that may have current opportunities for Hurricane Harvey relief:

Red Cross: http://ift.tt/2wfJX73
Salvation Army: http://ift.tt/2wzMziG
Links to several agencies needing help: http://ift.tt/2wACcv3
Lutheran Church Missouri Synod: http://ift.tt/2wgo9Z4888-843-5267

Here is the list of National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD):
http://ift.tt/2wdKkip

For future disasters:

--Decide what kind of work you want to do. This might entail asking different organizations what kinds of things are often needed and/or hard to get.
--Find an organization that provides the kind of assistance you want to help with.
--Volunteer with that organization.
--Complete their training and then keep it current.
--Cooperate with background and medical checks and requirements (when was the last time you got gamma globulin shot? Do you have specific chronic medical issues that prevent deployment into certain types of situations?).
--Get your own deployment preps in order (the organization will provide a list and recommendations) that you need to have on hand so you can deploy with little/no-notice.
--Let your employer and family know, so if a need arises there are no ugly surprises.

Some types of employment, such as medical, utilities, law enforcement, etc., the employer may maintain a volunteer list. Many of these employers are already on call lists from government disaster coordinators and disaster relief organizations. We’ve all seen the convoys of utility workers on the highways… organized, equipped, and trained… and… they’re expected in the disaster area, so where they’ll go and what they’ll do when they get there, is already known, and some sort of preparations have been made for their arrival.

There are a lot of good people out there that want to help. Not just now, but will want to help during future disasters. The time to prepare to help during future disasters is now. Exactly the same concept as prepping for one’s family, except in this case, you’re prepping to help others.

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If You Want to Help Now and in Future Disasters