A Call To Action To Help Texas And Florida Hurricane Victims

With Irma and Harvey ganging up on the southeastern American coastlines, plenty of people need immediate help. The damage done by hurricanes in the last few weeks will take at least a year for some to recover from. 

Many who live far away from the coast want to help out and are donating online in order to participate in the recovery effort. There are many organizations we can all donate online to. Here are just four:

• Samaritan’sPurse, led by Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, provides spiritual and physical aid to victims of war, natural disasters, disease, poverty, and persecution in more than 100 countries.“Samaritan’s Purse mobilizes staff and equipment and enlists thousands of volunteers to provide emergency aid to victims of tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters in the United States. We often stay behind after our initial response to rebuild or restore houses for families in need.”  Current projects are located in Houston, Pearland, Santa Fe, Victoria, and Rockport/Portland in Texas.  Samaritan’s Purse has a team in St. Martin now and is also readying teams to help in Florida. 
• GlobalGiving is helping with hurricane relief by providing food, water, and medicine as well as long-term recovery assistance. Their efforts will help people in the US and in the Caribbean. 
• TheSalvation Army has served more than 118,000 meals in Houston to victims of Hurricane Harvey. They are mobilizing to help in Florida too.
• J J  WATT, a powerful Defensive End on the Houston Texans NFL team, organized a fundraiser for victims of Hurricane Harvey that, as of this writing, has surpassed $32 million dollars. So far, the YouCaring page lists 200,000 supporters. And people are still giving. 

Today’s goal is: Donate to a trusted charity. Do the research. Find an organization you’d like to support in order to share the burden of hurricane-affected families.

Billions of dollars must be donated to help these families. We know it won’t come from a few, but from millions of donors worldwide. But which organization should you give to?

That’s a decision each donor should make. Look for trusted websites that give accurate information. Contact them if you have specific questions.

Maybe your friends want to have a donation party where they all bring an item to be auctioned off, with all the proceeds going to the hurricane relief efforts in Texas or Florida.

Thanks for being generous and helping someone smile.

Giving to Help Hurricane Harvey Victims

Billions of dollars of damage was inflicted on the Texans along the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Harvey took homes and jobs from people in 18 Texas counties.

High winds and high water took its toll as the hurricane hit the Corpus Christi area. By the time trillions of gallons of water had been dumped on Texas, rainfall totals were breaking records all through the area. East of Houston, the highest recorded rainfall total was over 51 inches (51.88 inches on Cedar Bayou near Highlands, Texas). The Houston Hobby Airport recorded 33.88 inches. The city of Pasadena recorded over 40 inches.

As soon as people were being dropped off at the George R Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston, business owners were thinking about how they could help. Papa John’s Pizza donated 4,000 personal pizzas, and various local restaurant owners donated what they could to help feed the thousands fleeing their flooded homes.

Businesses like HEB grocery stores and Buc-ee’s convenience stores gave food to first responders so they could have one less thing on their minds as they helped the stranded victims. HEB trucks were welcomed as they showed up in disaster relief convoys  to feed Texans  going through hard times.

Those who were rescued from flooded houses should have gotten a Tetanus vaccination by now because of the likelihood of infection. Those who have been volunteering in homes that still have some water inside likely will need to get a Tetanus shot as well. HEB grocery stores in certain hurricane-affected areas have been giving away free Tetanus shots in their pharmacy while supplies last. The Tetanus vaccination helps those who have come into contact with bacteria present in flood waters and debris.

Local newspapers are distributing information to help hurricane victims receive the supplies they need. In Brazoria County, The Facts had an article to share locations for free food and other help. 

Many churches along the Gulf Coast have been organizing volunteer crews to go into homes to tear out soggy drywall and flooring. They are crossing denominational lines and serving the whole community. Volunteers are signing up to help and coming from across America to lend some muscle.

Funds donated to the Harvey Relief Fund through the Bayou City Fellowship website will go directly to the relief efforts. Scroll down their page and hover your mouse over the image that reads "Donate". Bayou City Fellowship is using its own outreach budget to support all the overhead costs associated with the relief effort.  

What’s their motivation? They want to share the love of Jesus and give glory to God for their ability to help.

One woman’s experience was described as a time “when people loved deeply, served tirelessly, and worked in unity.”

Today’s goal is:  Do something. Pick a business, school, or family along the Texas Gulf Coast and give something to make their recovery run more smoothly. Use your gifts, time, supplies, prayer, or money to make a difference in someone’s life.

People are supporting others by donating food directly or giving to food banks. Donations of diapers are a welcome gift for many moms.

If you want to help Texans, you can donate to their recovery via Houston-area charities or contact your Texas friends and find out where they’re getting help. Don’t forget to ask about the needs of local schools. Many schools have lost a lot and will need more supplies and volunteers as they try to get back on track this semester.

Thanks for thinking of others and making your community better.

Setting The Example

I started this blog as my encouragement for us all to stay active in the lives of those around us. But when I see people fleeing from their homes because of flooding or other destruction, it makes me want to help more.

Years ago, my mom's house was in the path of a flood. She had some sand delivered to her yard so she and her family and friends could fill bags with sand and pack them up against the plastic she wrapped the bottom half of her house with. I'm sure I wasn't the only one with sore muscles that day. Many people were there offering to help.

This year when the Brazos River flooded, my mom's house had two to three inches of water in it. That doesn't sound like much, but she still has to replace walls and flooring. I wasn't able to help her this year because I was doing something else. But I sent my best gift: my two kind, strong, able-bodied children.

Some of her friends had a lot more water in their homes than my mom did. But the funny thing is, while her friends were staying at someone else's house until they were able to go back to their home, they were still helping others. They weren't letting their own disaster stop them from showing concern for other people.

Today's goal is: Bump it up a notch!

When you see a someone else's need, decide if you have the ability to help them. If you can't help, pray. If you can help, grab a friend and make it a bigger gift.

When you are being friendly, caring, daring, determined, and generous, you are setting an example for others as you participate in your community. Don’t think no one will notice. They notice, and they sometimes accept your unspoken challenge without telling you. Your quiet gift of time, effort, prayer, supplies, or money actually improves the chances of others donating or volunteering.

Thank you for making a difference in your world. You are motivating others.

Donate To A Food Bank

When you get hungry, you go to the refrigerator and pull out a snack. What if all you had in the kitchen was a can of tuna and some powdered drink mix? Where would you go for food if you didn’t have enough money to pay the electric bill last month?

You might be surprised at how many people show up at churches and ask for food. But where does the church get their supply?

Food banks supply many people with non-perishable food items. Churches get donations from their members, but some also purchase food for their pantry from a food bank.

Today’s goal is: Donate food to a food bank or a church food ministry.

Organizations who collect items to give to the poor rely on donations. If you can’t donate your time at one of the food banks or churches in your area, then get a bag of rice and a jar of peanut butter while you’re doing your shopping and drop it by a donation site.

It’s easy to buy a few extra items each time you do your grocery shopping. Sometimes you can save money by buying in bulk. Whether you donate two boxes of pasta or twenty cases of canned goods, your generosity helps others in need.

Enjoy knowing you’ve helped.

Generosity Jar

Giving can be an attack on greed. Anytime you find yourself feeling envious of those who seem to be richer than you, pick out someone to give to. Greed and hoarding lose their footing in the heart of a giver. They fall away and become weak.

The giver must be wise with what they have, but being wise isn’t the same as keeping whatever you have to yourself. Keep a roof over your head and food in your belly, but give away some of your “extra” money.

If you pay for things with paper bills and keep the coins (the change) in a special container, the coins will add up to a surprising amount faster than you think. If you put aside a generosity jar and fill it with your change, you can take it to the bank and exchange it for bills to be used for a specific donation.

Today’s goal is: Begin keeping change in a large container in your home. Write a note on the jar that describes where the money is going when the jar is filled.

If every time you see that jar you thank God for meeting your needs, your motivation to meet someone else’s needs may rise. And the joy of giving builds.

If you don’t know which family or charity to give the donation to, just ask God to direct you to the recipient He chooses. And keep your eyes open.