Hurricane Florence has caused chaos in the U.S. The intense east coast weather has left dozens dead in North Carolina and there is severe flooding in the storm’s aftermath. Many of those affected on the east coast have lost their homes, belongings, and livelihoods. Here’s how you can help, from donating to volunteering and giving blood.
Donate
Many think that donating money is more useful than donating supplies and goods, as these can be hard to transport to affected zones. As with all organizations, read up on where your money goes. Some of the most popular organizations to donate to include:
American Red Cross
At the moment the American Red Cross is accepting donations to help those who have been caught up in Hurricane Florence. Your donation will ensure the Red Cross can respond to, and help people recover from, the devastating effects of the hurricane. Thousands of people in North and South Carolina are said to have sought refuge in some of the Red Cross’ shelters that have been put in place over the past few days.
Gleaning for the World
Gleaning for the World is accepting donations for those affected by Hurricane Florence. The organization provides medical and essential supplies and works in collaboration with corporate donors. They have said their money will go towards sheltering and emergency supplies as soon as roads are open (at present, many roads are dangerous to pass through).
North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund
The North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund is accepting contributions that will go towards helping with immediate needs of Hurricane Florence victims.
Save the Children
Save the Children is providing resources to children and families that have been affected by the storm. They aim to help vulnerable children with emergency assistance.
Volunteer
Operation BBQ Relief
Operation BBQ Relief is an organization that’s bringing food to affected areas. The company has sent barbeque experts to provide hot meals for those in Wilmington and Fayetteville that are without access to a kitchen or food. The organization is said to be providing thousands of meals per day to those in need and they are looking for volunteers. So if you’re good with a barbeque, why not sign up?
SBP
SBP is a non-profit organization that helps to rebuild homes after disasters. At the moment, they are looking for volunteers to assist with the clean-up effort, the main tasks being gutting and mold remediation to help prevent mold problems due to the flooding.
If you’re looking to do more volunteering in general, but aren’t near North or South Carolina, consider giving some of your time in Boston or Florida.
Send Supplies
The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina has a network spread across the two states and is currently accepting donations at various drop-off sites. The most useful items to donate are tinned foods, bags of rice, toiletries, and cleaning supplies. You can also donate cash — for every $10 you give, the Food Bank can provide 50 meals to people in need.
Give Blood
Vehicles carrying much-needed blood supplies will struggle to reach hospitals in the coming days and the Red Cross have said that more than 170 blood drives have been canceled due to the flooding. The Red Cross is asking for donors in non-affected areas. Book your slot here and give blood.