How to Help After the Flood

September 1, 2017

WE’RE ALL ASKING: “HOW CAN I DIRECTLY HELP HOUSTON?”

On August 26, Hurricane Harvey touched down in Rockport, Texas, then slowly moved over the city of Houston. For roughly three days, rainfall totaled about 49 inches. Houston has a population of 6.6 million people, making this one of the largest natural disasters in America. If you can help, remember that donations of cash to reputable relief organizations are the most effective. (When in doubt, check Charity Navigator to see where the money actually goes.)  The Red Cross is taking donations of course, but there are numerous other local organizations that are also actively providing aid. Here are a few from Houston Indivisible.

DONATE.

There are shelters and organizations set up around the city that could use assistance. Shipments of goods are not going to help for a while unless they have resource backers, such as some of the larger grocery stores, to help bring them in. There will be time for that later.

Right now, people on the ground need MONEY to operate.

Here are some ways to give.

GENERAL ASSISTANCE

Here is also a good article on how to donate money and other aid to communities of color – http://bit.ly/2x7kb7t

FOOD BANKS

CHILDCARE

HELP FOR UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

TRANSGENDER, INTERSEX, AND GENDERQUEER INDIVIDUALS

HOMELESS

RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS

  • Coastal Bend Disaster Recovery Group – http://bit.ly/2xzGMaE
    Accepting both cash donations and volunteer help (as needed).

MEDICAL

  • The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center is asking for blood donations – http://bit.ly/2el217G
  • Trach Mommas of Louisiana – http://bit.ly/2grpecl
    Those who have extra pediatric medical supplies such as tracheostomy and ventilator supplies, feeding tubes, nebulizers, air purifiers, or specialty baby formula can help children with complex medical needs. Please email trachmommas@gmail.com.

PET CARE AND ANIMAL RESCUE

ADVOCATE

After a month of recess, Congress will be back in session in September with lots of must-pass bills to deal with. First on that list must be responding to Hurricane Harvey. Members of Congress from the Texas delegation will be leading efforts to pass an aid package for Harvey, and below are ways that you can help make sure we have an appropriate response.

  • Demand immediate relief for areas affected by Harvey. Members of the Texas delegation are leading efforts to appropriate emergency relief for Houston, coastal Texas, and Louisiana. This is a national crisis and every Member of Congress should support aid for areas affected by Hurricane Harvey. Make sure that your MoCs do, too.
  • Resist funding cuts to disaster preparedness and response. Trump has called for massive cuts to FEMA, the coast guard, and other programs that are essential to prepare for and respond to disasters like Harvey. But funding is the job of Congress, so make sure your MoC doesn’t cut these important programs.
  • Rebuild Houston, not some stupid wall. We need infrastructure, medical help, jobs and economic security to rebuild Houston and the Gulf Coast, not a thousand mile long political posture for Trump’s white supremacist worldview. Demand your members of Congress supply federal funding to rebuild our cities and our communities—not for a costly and unnecessary wall.
  • Reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program. Even as Houston sits under water, Congress is unsure about whether it should reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program, which is intended to protect Americans from events like Harvey. Congress needs to not just reauthorize the program, but strengthen it.
  • Tropical Storm Harvey is real, so is climate change. We need a deliberative grassroots- driven plan that takes into account the strong likelihood of future climate disasters while taking action to avert the worst of the climate crisis. If Congress won’t address climate change, then we need to make sure our local and state governments are.

For more information on Indivisible’s Congressional asks please read Indivisible’s full explainer on how Congress should respond to Harvey here.

 

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