I am not an expert, and I am writing this largely as a discussion-starter, but here’s my list:
First, just say no to the Red Cross.
Seriously, time and again, they’ve proven that they’ve lost sight of their mission, and are more about self-promotion than relief and aid.
Propublica.org had a lengthy twitter thread on the topic:
1/ #Harvey has devastated Texas. In time of devastation, people give to disaster relief. And so let’s talk about the @RedCross for a second.
— ProPublica (@propublica) August 30, 2017
which includes a number of links, including to
An article at the Houston Chronicle about the poor job the Red Cross is doing so far.
A ProPublica article on the secrecy at the Red Cross about its Sandy donations.
A similar article reporting on how they botched the Sandy aid, and another scandal — collecting half a billion dollars in Haiti donations with nothing to show for it, and several similar articles on their failures after other natural disasters.
And an article on their deceit in their claims that 91% of funds raised go to services.
Second, send cash, not clothing.
This should go without saying, and I hope that my readers don’t really need to be told this, but it’s not as if such a large swathe of the region has had its critical infrastructure destroyed that they need direct provision of goods from outsiders. Local organizations are far better placed to go out and do the purchasing, and, no matter what kind of “great bargain” you think you can get on your donated goods, they can obtain these items in bulk, and will know what they need, where.
And as obvious as this may seem, I was shocked that the local paper’s list of “how to help” included multiple ways of donating stuff.
They report:
• Patton School’s Girl Scout Troop 40842 in Arlington Heights will hold a donation collection drive for the victims of Hurricane Harvey at from 8 a.m. to 1 p.n. Saturday, Sept. 2, at Camelot Park, 1005 E. Suffield Drive, Arlington Heights. Donations will be delivered to Houston this weekend by the two troop leaders.
“Donations”? Of what? Of whatever you think might be useful?
And there are other collections planned, of personal items, clothing, and so on. Willow Creek is collecting diapers, children’s socks and underwear (why just children? adults have a greater need, don’t they, once they sweat more and feel more aware of wanting to be clean), soap, shampoo, toothbrushes & toothpaste, and children’s toys.
Virginia Postel posted on her facebook page a 2016 CBS News article, “When disaster relief brings anything but relief,” which describes some of the waste that occurs when people dive into stuff-donations, either because it’s a closet-cleaning two-fer or because they feel more useful buying items at a store than writing a check.
Have we not seen enough pictures of piles of clothing with no use, to get the message?
Third, be patient.
Yes, there are people who have left their homes with only the clothing on their backs. But I’m going to guess that for those who are living in shelters right now, wearing the same clothes is probably tolerable at least for a few days, though they might appreciate the chance for some clean underwear and some washing facilities, and by the time any clothing donations make it down there, this immediate need will have passed.
But after the flood waters have receded, people will return to their homes and there will be a lot of damage assessment. Some clothing can in fact be salvaged by washing and disinfecting. Bedding, on the other hand, is probably not salvageable, and I’m assuming that many people will find that their furniture has been ruined, though whether it’s just unsightly or unsanitary might vary. Flood damage to cars will be covered by comprehensive auto insurance, but people who had gone with bare-bones policies will find themselves without transportation, or dipping into whatever emergency fund they might have. And in the longer run, most of the damage to homes will not be covered by insurance, because only federal Flood Insurance covers floods, but people wishing to help will also have to weigh the question of whether their funds should go to families in poverty, wherever they live, vs. middle-class families for whom Harvey has meant losing savings and going into debt for repairs and new purchases. As far as I can tell, charities and other groups are far from being able to assess the needs of families in the Houston area, or the ways in which individuals, rather than government funds, can help them.
Image: Texas National Guardsmen assist residents into a military vehicle during Hurricane Harvey flooding in Houston, Texas, Aug. 27, 2017. Army National Guard photo by Lt. Zachary West; https://www.defense.gov/Photos/Essay-View/CollectionId/16901/
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In