(Texas art print by Rifle Paper Co.)
We’re supposed to be on our annual summer hiatus this week, but given the impact of Hurricane Harvey I just had to jump back in to share some ways that we can help right now. My heart goes out to the residents of Houston and those affected by Hurricane Harvey. Please stay safe out there, friends. I’m sure you have already seen the call to donate to the Red Cross, which you should absolutely do if you are able, but there are lots of other ways to help – from donating to the Texas Diaper Bank and local food banks to fostering rescued pets. Please help support relief efforts if you are able to do so. Every little bit helps!
HURRICANE HARVEY RELIEF FUND
Houston’s Mayor, Sylvester Turner, has set up the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund to directly help those in need. You can also text HARVEY2017 to 91999 or visit the website here: https://ghcf.org/hurricane-relief/
GLOBAL GIVING
This fund will provide relief to survivors in the form of emergency supplies like food, water, and medicine in addition to longer-term recovery assistance to help residents recover and rebuild. All donations to this fund will exclusively support relief and recovery efforts from this storm. You can contribute to this fund here: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/hurricane-harvey-relief-fund/
ALL HANDS VOLUNTEERS
All Hands Volunteers has three different teams on the ground assessing the damage and putting help where help is needed. All donations will go towards the victims and the rebuilding of the community. You can support their efforts here: https://www.hands.org/
PETS AND ANIMALS
For animals in need and evacuated pets, please consider donating to Austin Pets Alive and the SPCA of Texas. You can visit their websites to see a list of needs: https://www.austinpetsalive.org/hurricane-harvey-evacuations and https://www.spca.org/give
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Portlight helps support disaster relief efforts for people with disabilities, including medical equipment and assistive technology, sign language interpreters, and more. You can support their efforts at http://www.portlight.org/
TEXAS DIAPER BANK
Disaster relief agencies generally do not provide diapers. You can donate money or actual diapers to the Texas Diaper Bank. You can visit their donation page and designate your donation for Disaster Relief: https://texasdiaperbank.networkforgood.com
SUPPORT LOCAL FOOD BANKS
Here are some local food banks that can use your help:
The Galveston County Food Bank