Hurricane Harvey: How to Help From Afar

Due to the festivities and craziness of our church ceremony this weekend (more on that soon!) I am ashamed to admit, we were completely in our own little bubble, removed from the rest of the world for the past few days–that is, until I sat down at my computer this morning in a panic, remembering the hurricane–and afraid of the heartbreaking coverage I was about to read.

I don’t do this often, and I often struggle with how to toe the line between “real world events” and “fun lighthearted content” because a lot of times, I think you come here to escape all the madness that is happening out there, but I couldn’t not post something–we have to help.

For those, like me, living far away from Texas, where the skies were calm and blue today (or maybe your brain is sidetracked elsewhere, like, if you’re planning a wedding that’s occurring next week, for example) it’s so easy to forget to take action, so I’ve pulled together a few ways that you can help with just a few dollars (that are as easy as sending a text!)

Thousands of us read this blog every day. Think of how many people we can help by donating just $5 or $10 each! 

If you don’t know where to begin:

Houston’s Mayor just established a Harvey relief fund at The Greater Houston Community Foundation–if you’d like to donate to general relief, this is a good place to start. Global Giving is also a reputable crowdfunding charity that has a goal of raising $2 million for its Harvey relief fund. (This is one of the places I donated–you can also donate by texting below.) Funds will be used first for immediate needs of food, water and shelter and then transition to long-term recovery efforts.

Still not sure? Charity Navigator and  Go Fund Me created special curated landing pages that list a ton of Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

To donate in 2 seconds or less:

Global Giving: Text HARVEY to 80100

Red Cross: Text HARVEY to 90999 to make a $10 donation for those in need. (It charges you on your phone bill!)

Salvation Army: Text STORM to 51555

Donate with your next Starbucks order: Starbucks locations now include an option to donate to Harvey relief with your morning coffee order.

For an extra incentive:

Not that you need one, but worth mentioning anyway–right now, United Airlines will match the first $200,000 raised through their relief campaign and United MileagePlus® members who donate a minimum of $50 to any one of their charitable partners will receive up to 1,000 bonus miles.

To help animals:

The SPCA is taking donations and is seeking foster homes, as is Austin Pets Alive (specifically for long-term foster care).

To help babies:

Disaster relief shelters do not provide diapers–this is one of the best ways to help babies as well as seniors. You can purchase diapers and send them to the Texas Diaper Bank through this link through Jet.com. To make a cash donation to the Texas Diaper Bank, click here.

Thank you to The Everygirl, Forbes, NPR, Today.com and my readers for helping me compile this list of resources! Our thoughts are with our friends in Texas. If you have any others you’d like to add to this list, please comment them below!