From flooded hog farms to towns drenched in over 30 inches of rain, Hurricane Florence has left ravaged communities that are desperately in need. It has caused 32 fatalities, and hopefully no more from the ensuing wreckage. While it will take a long time to repair what’s been done, plenty are willing to help and hopefully restore Carolina’s natural beauty. Here’s what we can do to prevent further damage from being done.
Donate
This is the most obvious but necessary short-term solution that gets resources to the disaster site quickly. You can do this through various means, including the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, The Salvation Army, and Habitat for Humanity. To help out our furry and four-legged friends, donate to American Humane who has already evacuated many animals to a safe, dry site over 800 miles away.
Volunteer
Instead of throwing yourself at the cause, go through an organization like American Red Cross who offers opportunities that range in time commitment and a diverse range of interests.
Work with a blood drive or donate blood
Due to the storm, the red cross had to concern over 170 blood drives and lost over 4.5k donations as a result. Donate your blood and if you can, work with companies and groups to recruit or register donors and promote drives. This can be done through the Red Cross as well.
You can text FLORENCE to 90999 to make a $10 donation to Red Cross relief efforts. Message and data rates may apply.
If you’re thinking about donating to a charity, you must acknowledge the sad but true reality that attempted fraud can occur after disasters, attempting to deceive potential do-gooders. Ignore risky requests that involve sending credit card by email. Do your research on organizations online and via Charity Watch, and the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance.
