How Can We Help the Victims of Hurricane Harvey?
Thousands of people are displaced from their homes, with rain water soaking through the foundations of not only the houses but of the citizens’ livelihoods.
There does not seem to be an end to Hurricane Harvey’s destruction in Texas. What had begun as a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico, was depicted as a Category 4 hurricane as it raged onto land late Friday, August 25th, in Southeast Texas.
The total amount of rainfall between the areas of Texas and Louisiana is approximately 24.5 trillion gallons of water. Just one trillion gallons of water is how much flows over Niagara Falls in a matter of 15 days!
If you piled up 20 trillion gallons of water over the District of Columbia (approximately 68 square miles), the height of the water would be 1,410 feet — or almost the height of the Empire State Building. (Ryan Maue) — The Washington Post
In times such as these, it’s easy for the people whom are not directly influenced by the storm to feel helpless. You may be thinking, “how can I help the victims in Texas when I live thousands of miles away?”
You may also be thinking, “I don’t have enough money to donate to the various organizations helping out the victims.” But there are dozens of other ways to help the cause without being directly at the site of the storm or by hurting your bank accounts:
- Donations
As stated previously, if you are not financially able to send money to the victims of Harvey, there are other forms of donations you can make that won’t affect your finances!
Search through your closet for clothes that you either won’t wear again, no longer fit, or you just know someone in need would love, and send them through Catholic Charities. This company will take clothes and food all the while providing shelter for the victims of disasters. Over 75 years, the company has helped over 82,000 people.
2. Offer Your House to Victims
If you are able and are living in a safe area close to the devastation, offer up available rooms in your home to families who have lost their house due to flooding damage.
Share your house on Airbnb for free to a family in need of shelter. Currently, Airbnb is allowing victims to be housed in various listings on their website for free during the continual bombardment of rainfall and flooding due to the hurricane.
An act of kindness and hospitality can be the answer to the prayer of a family affected by the hurricane.
3. Volunteer
Again, if you are living nearby the devastation area, volunteer with local organizations to help provide the victims with necessities such as food and toiletries.
The Red Cross is a nationwide organization that helps communities endure and get through difficult situations such as a natural disaster like Hurricane Harvey.
Another local volunteer service is the Texas Disaster Volunteer Registry. This company focuses on getting medical aid to those who are in danger of potentially losing their lives.
So what can you do to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey?
Donate any clothing, non-perishable food item and if possible money to various organizations that are currently in Texas helping out the families affected by this raging storm. Share your home with another family desperate for food and shelter, and volunteer!
Whether it’s volunteering to save lives from flooding homes or to hand out food and blankets at a shelter, every little bit helps! Whether you make a small or big gesture, go out there and change someone’s life today.
Kayla Keller is an intern with Blooming Twig and studies Linguistics, English and Writing at Stony Brook University.
