Ways to Help #HurricaneHarvey

I thank God for the desire so many people have to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey. There are many ways to help, but I’ve listed a few here for you to consider.

As we have heard on the news and witnessed from other large-impact storms, recovery will take a long time. There are multiple phases of disaster response each with different kinds of intensity and needs: initial response to the emergency, initial stabilization, short-term support, and long-term support (these are my categories based on some reading). My encouragement is to plan to do something at each phase.

  • Donate money. Donating money may seem very impersonal or less involved, but money has several advantages: it’s easy to move, it can benefit the local economy, and relief workers can purchase what is needed for the people they encounter.
    • Gulf Coast Synod website: www.gulfcoastsynod.org
    • Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR): click here
    • Thrivent $500,000 match on personal donations made online through Thrivent.com to specific disaster relief organizations responding to Hurricane Harvey. The dollar-for-dollar match is open to Thrivent members and will lead to a total combined impact of up to $1 million. For more details and to see the list of organizations included in the match, visit the Disaster Response page on Thrivent.com.
  • Volunteering and donating clothing, food, etc. Bishop Mike Rinehart (Texas Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod) and Bishop Ray Tiemannn (Southwestern Texas Synod) suggest not traveling to the affected areas right now. If you’re already in the area, there’s a lot to do … help is needed in shelters and ensuring people have food, water, and dry clothing. The bishops also suggest not sending “in-kind gifts” at this time. Bp Tiemann wrote: “All volunteer activities and donations are to be held until the appropriate time, and we’ll let you know when that is. Keep up your patient praying.” [Read more here]
    • The Red Cross and GreenDrop have partnered to help move donations like clothing: www.gogreendrop.com
  • Assemble Clean-up Buckets. If you are a Thrivent member, create a Thrivent Action Team, which includes $250 in seed money to get started. Then assemble clean-up buckets. A description of how to assemble the buckets is posted on the Metro DC Synod website here.
  • Donate blood. Go to www.redcross.org to donate money or blood.
  • ELCA Youth Gathering. The ELCA is holding its Youth Gathering in Houston in June when about 30,000 youth and adults will be there and will be ready to serve. www.elca.org/YouthGathering
  • Be informed. News has been a good resource with its nearly 24-hour coverage. Unfortunately, that will fade.
    • National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD): www.nvoad.org

Of course, there are MANY other ways to give. So, give as you are able. Please be sure that you donate through a reputable organization to ensure that your gifts are used appropriately. The following are some resources to validate the charity you may be considering:

I’ll update this page as needed to correct information and add updates.

prjeffwilson

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