Hurricane Harvey – How Can You Help?
Friends there are no words for what has unfolded in Texas over the past week. Watching people lose everything and some even their lives has been paralyzing. My hometown has flooded beyond anything I’ve ever seen. It is all just too much for my brain to comprehend. To see schools underwater, businesses underwater, a years worth or work in a cotton field gone and pastures of cattle in danger make you question how long it will possibly be before any type of normal life will be able to continue.
Even if grocery stores are able to open it is almost impossible for them to receive food deliveries. The HEB in my hometown has nothing left and as of yesterday the town was shut off to the world in all directions. This is a very small town and I see how it is effecting them and knowing this is happening on a much larger level everywhere is just so much to take in.
Many of you who read my blog here know Tanya from The Other Side of the Road. Her family road out the storm in Houston and finally evacuated when the water was knee deep in their home. I would love to gather gift cards to restaurants, Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, Target….you get the idea. If any of you readers would like to contribute please contact me directly at sjanac69@gmail.com with more info on how to participate.
If you are sitting at home like me and wondering how in the heck you can help, I’m listing some posts I’ve seen with information on donating, making purchases from vendors who are donating and then just some tips I saw this morning from a blogger friend who lives in Houston.
Be VERY SPECIFIC in your offer to assist friends who have flooded. IT IS DIFFICULT TO THINK STRAIGHT AND MAKE DECISIONS WHEN OVERWHELMED AND TRAUMATIZED.
For example, instead of saying “What can I do to help?” Try these specific suggestions:
1. Can I come help today until 8pm to get water out of your house?
2. Can I come by with baskets and wash your wet clothing at my house?
3. Can I bring you lunch/dinner at 1pm today? How many people? Where would you like it delivered? (They are probably not staying in their flooded home)
4. Would you like to eat dinner at our house at 8pm? We have clean towels if you want to shower here first. We are serving brisket, potatoes, and salad. (They will look forward to specific meals and enjoy having a concrete plan). Don’t be upset if they are late – offer a beer or glass of wine.
5. Bring an ice chest full of bottled ice, water, Gatorade, lemonade to their flooded home. The Corp of Engineers is handing out free ice and bottled water. Figure out where the closest location is. Go get some every morning and deliver it to them. Give family the location if you have to stop.
6. Set up a folding table in their garage/carport with a sign that reads “Return Tools Here.” (Write your name and phone number in Sharpie on the table if you want it back in a month or so as they won’t remember who brought it)
7. Set up a table and chairs in a shaded area outside so workers have a place to take a break, eat a meal, etc… a lot of times you can hose off and disinfect a patio table (1/4 cup bleach per gallon of water.) Put ice chest of drinks close by.
8. Order large plastic tubs with tops to store all their belongings – 50 is not too many. If they arrive next week, they will still need them.
9. Offer to drive to Bastrop or Austin to purchase supplies to begin muck out as you can be back in 6 hours. Flat shovels, bleach, spray bottles, light weight electric saw to cut sheet rock, mask, safety goggles, bags of industrial rag packs (can be washed and reused), industrial trash bags, Wheel barrel, disinfectant, 5 gallon buckets, etc…
10. If you are out of town and want to help, mail gift cards to restaurants, grocery and hardware stores that are nearby.
11. Can I loan you a car for a week?
12. Can call in, refill, and deliver a prescription for you?
13. Can I pick up your kids, take them to my house to play, and then drop them off at the end of the day? Is 8pm a good time?
How to Really Help Those Living Through Disaster – Tips from a Survivor
Shelly – great post. Especially about making specific offers. I wrote a post on how to pray for victims of Harvey if you would like to link to it http://mysideof50.com/pray-victims-hurricane-harvey/
Done! And shared on facebook. Thank you so much Cathy. I can’t think straight and I’ve lost nothing…I cannot even imagine the loss and confusion and overwhelming feeling those affected must be feeling.
LOVE! Thanks for sharing my post and letting us know about a fellow blogger going through loss. It is so true that people can’t think clearly. I remember people continuously asking and I felt like my head was about to explode from all of the questions. The things that meant the most were the people that saw a need and jumped on it.
What a wonderful heartfelt post Shelly. I almost posted your list from Facebook myself this morning. I think I will just go back and link to your blog right now for all of this advice. It’s hard to know where to begin. I’m so happy y’all were unscathed but I know you must be deeply affected being so close. XOXO
This is great information Shelly. Both our elementary school and our church are doing fundraisers. I love the idea of collecting gift cards. This is just so heartbreaking, I don’t know how everyone moves forward and things get rebuilt, the devastation just seems so overwhelming. But I believe with prayer God can do anything.
Continued prayers for Texas!
xo,
Kellyann
It has just been wild Kellyann. And the devastation has affected so many people and all along the Texas coast. It was heartbreaking seeing people I’ve known my entire life hauling their entire lives out to the curb. But I also could not believe the outpouring of support that came into my hometown as soon as it was accessible. Food and supplies just poured in. And not just non-perishable food….people bringing hot meals, cooking burgers and bbq plates….it was amazing. I hope everyone continues to support even after the initial push as this is going to be a really long recovery!
This is an excellent post Shelly. It’s hard to know how to go about and begin to help. Everyone genuinely wants to help and your list is a perfect guideline.
Love and prayers for Texas!
Rosemary
Thank you Rosemary! It’s been just such an awful 10 days for Texas. So heartbreaking.
Thanks for the shout out! 🙂 These are such excellent tips. People did all these and more for us, and we couldn’t be more thankful! Probably the number one tip would be to just show up or call. Sometimes a friendly face or voice on the phone can be so comforting!