When Hurricane Harvey roared ashore on the Texas coast on Friday evening, August 25, it was the first Category 4 hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. since Hurricane Charley in 2004. As you’ve likely seen from the haunting news footage, the storm dropped more than 4 feet of rain on the Greater Houston and surrounding areas, causing utter destruction. Thousands of homes, businesses, churches and other facilities were flooded with chest-deep (or higher) water. To say that Harvey significantly impacted Texas coastal communities, including Houston, is an understatement. Many of these localities will never be the same and will take years to recover some semblance of normalcy.
It’s normal to feel helpless in the face of such overwhelming destruction, especially when we’re so far away from Texas here in the Richmond, Virginia area. However, there are simple ways that you can help. The most direct method is to donate money and resources.
It’s despicable but true: scammers try to take advantage of disastrous situations and swindle victims who’ve lost nearly everything to Hurricane Harvey or those who want to donate toward Hurricane Harvey relief. To avoid this racket, never wire money to any organization claiming they’ll help flood victims – once wired, your money can’t be retrieved.
To help you identify local and national organizations with strong track records of using donations to directly help victims suffering in tragedy’s wake, we’ve compiled a list of reputable organizations, below. Whether you want to donate $10, $100 or more, it’s important to know that the organizations you’re donating to will use your donation most effectively.
The following organizations are best bets for donating your hard-earned money to help people who may have lost nearly everything: