I’m a Texas girl. Raised and still live in the Austin area. I may not have been personally affected by Hurricane Harvey, but many friends and loved ones have been. My heart goes out to everyone affected, and I’m choosing this small platform as just one way I can try to make a difference.
FEMA Administrator Brock Long estimated Monday that 30,000 people may need shelter, and some 450,000 may qualify for federal flood victim assistance. Those numbers are growing as other areas in East Texas and Louisiana are added to the list. Even as the rain stops, there’s still a ton of clean up that has to happen.
If you are wondering how you can reach out and help the tens of thousands affected, below I’ve come up with a list of tons of different legit ways to pitch in.
I have pulled these organizations from lists compiled by CNN, NPR, and other trusted sources. I am not associated with any. Please choose the right one for you, and thank you in advance for any help you can give.
In Person Aid
- Donate blood: South Texas Blood & Tissue Center
- Donate food: See Food Banks below or contact
- Donate items: See organizations below that will accept physical items from clothes, to diapers, to toys, to blankets, to items to help with reconstruction, etc.
- Local organizations: Get involved with your church or other local organizations to see what aid they are organizing and how you can help
- Volunteer: Most of the organizations listed below will take volunteers.
Donate to Help
If you are not in Texas, but still want to give, here are different organizations to choose from:
General Aid
- The Red Cross
- The United Way
- The United Way of Greater Houston
- The Salvation Army
- All Hands Volunteers
Food
- Feeding Texas
- Houston Food Bank
- Galveston Food Bank
- Food Bank of the Golden Crescent (Victoria)
- Corpus Christi Food Bank
- Southeast Texas Food Bank (Beaumont)
- Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley (Pharr)
- Convoy of Hope