Hurricane Helene left a path of destruction within the Southeast this previous week, inflicting extreme structural injury, flooding, accidents, and, at present estimates, the lack of almost 200 lives. As communities grapple with the storm’s aftermath, the necessity for assist continues to rise quickly. Right here we shall be posting updates, sources, and data on how one can assist.
Easy methods to Assist
The outpouring of communal and nationwide help for affected areas has been inspiring. Nevertheless, it’s vital to concentrate to the requests of organizations to finest assist their efforts with out unintentionally creating new challenges. Officers are urging individuals to not self-deploy into the affected areas. As an alternative, these wishing to assist can name 2-1-1 to attach with native sources, together with reunification companies, meals banks, and different help facilities.
Many individuals misplaced their houses, companies, and private belongings to Hurricane Helene. Street and structural injury has left many stranded, with out energy, and struggling to entry clear water and hygiene provides. Affected areas are in determined want of funding and provides. Right here’s what and the place you’ll be able to donate.
What to Donate
- Hygiene Merchandise
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrushes
- Deodorant
- Bar cleaning soap
- Tampons/Pads/Female Merchandise
- Diapers and child garments
- Wipes
- Socks
- Nutrient Dense Gadgets
- Beef jerky
- Peanut butter
- Fruit pouches
- Child meals
- Shelf steady milk
- Shelf-stable gadgets that don’t require water
- Hazzard Cleansing Provides
- Trash luggage
- Paper towels
- Buckets
- Rags
- Gloves
- Cleansing merchandise
- Disinfecting wipes
- Misc. Gadgets
- Flashlights
- Coolers
- Batteries
- Bottled water
- Different
- Pet meals and merchandise
- Blankets
- Comfy Clothes
- First Support Merchandise
The place to Donate: Provides and Funds
Please test every group to see if they’re taking particular gadgets or are strictly taking sure sorts. Inquiring prematurely will stop overwhelming these locations with issues they don’t want.
Common
- Mutual Support Catastrophe Reduction: This group supplies catastrophe aid and shares updates on provide drops and assist stations all through all affected areas.
- Americares: Americares is responding to pressing medical wants within the wake of Hurricane Helene.
- The Pink Cross: The American Pink Cross is offering emergency shelter, meals, and aid provides to these affected by Hurricane Helene. They’re additionally organizing blood drives to keep up the blood provide and mobilizing volunteers to help restoration efforts in impacted areas.
- Salvation Military: The Salvation Military is providing emergency housing, meals, and important provides to these in want. They’re actively gathering monetary donations to help their catastrophe aid efforts and be sure that assist reaches affected communities shortly.
- Area A.H.E.A.D. This group permits donors to designate which Tennessee or Virginia county their cash will go towards. Additionally they have the choice to donate to a basic fund to be shared with all affected counties.
- Samaritan’s Purse: Samaritan’s Purse mobilizes employees, gear, and hundreds of volunteers to offer emergency assist to victims of tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and different pure disasters throughout the USA.
- Operation Airdrop: Centered on delivering important provides, sizzling meals, and help to communities affected and/or stranded by the storm, Operation Airdrop supplies data on tips on how to get entangled, together with volunteer alternatives and donation choices.
Virginia
- Virginia Voluntary Organizations Energetic in Catastrophe (VOAD): This coalition of nonprofit organizations coordinates catastrophe response efforts throughout Virginia. They facilitate communication and useful resource sharing amongst member organizations to make sure efficient assist supply to communities affected by Hurricane Helene.
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee
- East Tennessee State College: This faculty is accepting donations of flood buckets, hygiene kits, and blood to help these in crucial want.
- Assist Erwin Heal: This native initiative helps households in Erwin affected by extreme flooding. Contributions will present important provides, momentary shelter, and monetary help for restoration efforts, guided by native officers and the nonprofit RISE Erwin.
- East Tennessee Basis: This group serves as an official supply for financial donations to impacted counties.
- Second Harvest Meals Financial institution of Northeast Tennessee: This meals financial institution is looking for donations to proceed distributing meals and water the place wanted most. You possibly can donate by calling 423-279-0430 or on-line.
- The Salvation Military of Kentucky and Tennessee: This nonprofit is offering crucial help to flood-impacted areas and is requesting donations to help ongoing efforts. Donations may be made at helpsalvationarmy.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY.
- United Method of East Tennessee Highlands: Serving a number of impacted counties, this group accepts donations for its catastrophe aid fund
- True Rescue: Volunteers are helping with animal rescues within the space. The shelter is accepting monetary donations, pet meals, and provides for animals affected by the flooding. Donations may be dropped off at True Rescue Shelter, situated at 12110 Lebanon Rd. in Mt. Juliet.
Georgia
- Georgia Emergency Administration and Homeland Safety Company: This authorities group is accepting donations and volunteers. For extra data, e mail [email protected].
- First Baptist Fairhope: This native church is rallying to help First Baptist Hazlehurst, GA, after extreme injury from Hurricane Helene. They’re conducting a donation drive for important gadgets, with last collections till Wednesday evening.
Florida
- Florida Catastrophe Fund: This official state fund assists Florida communities throughout emergencies and disasters. Donations may be made on-line, by way of PayPal, or via bodily checks.
- Feeding Tampa Bay: Be a part of their Emergency Response Volunteer Group, which companions with native emergency operations to distribute meals, hygiene gadgets, and water.
- Rebuilding Collectively Tampa Bay: This nationwide group has native chapters working in Central Florida and North Central Florida. Current tasks embrace overlaying susceptible houses with roof tarps and coordinating hurricane aid kits. They’re accepting volunteers and monetary donations.
- World Central Kitchen: Led by Chef José Andrés, this nonprofit is serving free meals throughout Florida and different states affected by the storm. To enroll in volunteer shifts or donate, go to wck.org.
- 211 Tampa Bay Cares: This group connects individuals to very important sources, together with meals, psychological well being companies, and housing help, and is accepting monetary donations.
- Metropolitan Ministries: This group collaborates with 65 neighborhood companions to help households throughout Tampa Bay. Donations will assist present meals, water, shelter, and important provides post-Hurricane Helene.
- Florida Voluntary Organizations Energetic in Disasters: This statewide coalition of nonprofits works collectively to help people affected by disasters.
We shall be creating an inventory of small and native companies looking for monetary help within the wake of Hurricane Helene. If you want your small business included, please e mail [email protected] with the topic line, “Hurricane Helene Support: Enterprise”
Written by: Shannon McGowan
Contributors: Amanda Liverette and Craig Snodgrass.
Cowl picture: Morning mild over the Appalachian mountains alongside the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. Courtesy of Getty Photographs.
