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How to help victims and donate to charity

Posted on by Vanessa
How to help victims and donate to charity

(This story has been updated to add new information, meet our standards and add video.)

Hurricane Helene hit the Florida coast on Thursday, flooding coastal towns and destroying buildings, before making landfall in Taylor County that night as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 miles per hour. Over a million customers were without power, homes were flooded although not washed away, and many people are in need of assistance.

Here's how you can get involved.

Give money

Of course, the fastest way is to send money.

While there is often an urge to send water, blankets, food and other items, charities are unwilling to handle the logistical nightmare of organizing, sorting, storing and distributing physical goods. When you donate money to trusted charities, the money goes where it's needed, to the places where it's needed most.

Charities also often receive volume discounts and, when possible, purchase items in the disaster area to support local economic recovery.

There may be a time when items are needed, but in the beginning it's about money.

Which national organizations are helping victims of Hurricane Helene?

American Red Cross: The Red Cross is always one of the first groups and probably the best-known relief organization in the world, providing food, shelter, supplies and emotional support to crisis victims. There are already hundreds of workers and volunteers in Florida and have opened dozens of shelters for evacuees. You can take part in the regional group's Helene aid measures.

GoFundMe: GoFundMe fundraisers for people affected by Hurricane Helene are already piling up on this popular crowdfunding website that connects you directly to people who need help. This can be a great way to help people in need and give face to the person you're donating to, but it can also be an easy way to get scammed. Read the campaigns carefully. GoFundMe has set up a special hub for verified Helene requests. The company also has its own Hurricane Relief Fund that you can donate to, which provides cash grants to people who need help.

The Salvation Army: Another group that responds quickly to disasters: The Salvation Army provides food, drinks, shelter, emotional and spiritual care, and other emergency services to survivors and rescue workers. You can donate to Helene efforts online.

United Way: The United Way has launched a fund to help people affected by Helene. Local United Way organizations are also accepting donations to support relief efforts, both for short-term problems and to continue helping residents later. You can find your local chapter on the organization's website.

World Central Kitchen: When a disaster occurs, Chef José Andrés is on site with his teams to set up kitchen facilities and begin serving thousands of meals to victims and responders. You can help by donating on their website.

There are also many other organizations that offer specialized care and assistance:

All hands and hearts: This volunteer organization works with local residents to help rebuild schools, homes and other community infrastructure. A Helene fund was founded.

America: Americares focuses on medical assistance, helping communities recover from disasters through access to medicines and providing personal protective equipment and medical supplies. To help the victims of Hurricane Helene, Americares has set up a donation page.

CARE: Provides assistance through emergency cash assistance to families in underserved communities. Donate to her Helene Fund on her website.

The Community Foundation Tampa Bay: This local group maintains its own list of local charities that can help address urgent needs, or you can donate to the Tampa Bay Rapid Response Fund, which distributes money to nonprofits in the community that respond to emergencies.

Direct relief: Direct Relief provides long-term medical assistance specifically needed by local officials and agencies. The organization just provided more than $74 million in medicines and medical supplies to healthcare providers in the path of Hurricane Helene, according to an email. You can donate to the general fund or select “Hurricane Helene Response” from the drop-down menu on the donation page.

Global giving: This disaster relief charity provides immediate post-emergency assistance to people, animals and frontline workers and helps displaced families, but also offers long-term assistance with a focus on local organizations. Donate to the Helene Ida Fund on her website.

International Medical Corps: This organization works with state agencies and local health care providers to provide critical care and medical care. Donate to the Helene Fund listed on the website.

Mutual disaster relief: A grassroots disaster relief network committed to providing direct relief to underserved communities who are often left out. Donate at mutualaiddisasterrelief.org.

Operation Blessing: This group works with emergency management and local churches to bring clean water, food, medicine and other supplies to people with immediate needs in disaster areas. Donate to her Helene Fund on her website.

Save the children: This organization is committed to getting child-friendly supplies into the hands of families most affected by the storm, including hygiene kits, diapers and baby wipes, as well as classroom cleaning kits for schools and helping to restore child care and early learning centers. Donate to the Children's Emergency Fund.

Should I travel to affected areas and volunteer to help victims of Hurricane Helene?

Unless officially requested, no.

There are disaster response teams and trusted organizations for this, and random volunteers, while theoretically welcome, do not have the safety or medical training to help with disaster response and may put a strain on resources needed by locals. There will be local health experts, Red Cross volunteers and first responders on site. Check with them to see how you can help.

How can I ensure my money goes to the victims of Hurricane Helene?

Unfortunately, in the same devastating emergencies that so many people want to help with, there are always scammers looking to take advantage of your money. Before you donate to an unknown charity, check them out.

A simple method: Search Google for the name of the charity and the words “scam” or “scam.” You can also research them at one of the organizations that rate charities: Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance (give.org), Charity Navigator (charitynavigator.org), Guidestar (guidestar.org), or CharityWatch (charitywatch.org).

The Florida Department of Agricultural Services has its own toll-free hotline to check charities at 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) or you can use the Check-A-Charity tool to complete registration and Review financial information.

Can I help pets injured or stranded by Hurricane Helene?

There are a number of local organizations dedicated to helping animals in the affected regions.

Humane Society Disaster Relief: This group evacuates animals from shelters before and after hurricanes and other natural disasters. You can donate at secured.humanesociety.org/page/81880.

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