How To Help After a Natural Disaster

Natural disasters are very powerful and can cause widespread devastation. People are left without access to food, clean water, or medical attention. Sometimes they no longer have a home, or it is no longer habitable. It can be difficult to watch these scenarios play out because the problem may be so big that you feel powerless to mitigate it. However, there are things you can do to help, by yourself or with your family.

Find Out What Is Needed 

Sometimes it seems pretty obvious what people need after a natural disaster. The type of event may provide a clue. For example, after a flood, obviously people are going to need water damage restoration. Nevertheless, sometimes relief organizations receive too many donations of certain supplies and are in desperate need of others. Research what is needed before making a donation of supplies.

Start Close To Home

If you have family members in the affected area, it may seem selfish to help them first when there are so many other people in need. However, it makes sense to help the people who are close to you first. You have a responsibility to those people who are close to you that takes precedence over the general goodwill that you owe to all humanity. Furthermore, because these people are closely related, you can get in touch with them directly and find out exactly what they need. Give what you can, but don't feel like you have to restore all your family members' belongings. You should help if possible, but there is only so much you can do.

Give to Accredited Organizations

When you give money to organizations such as the International Rescue Committee, Save the Children, or the American Red Cross, you know that the money is going to help people in the greatest need. However, be very careful that the company you are dealing with is actually the one that it claims to be. Opportunistic scam artists take advantage of people's generous impulses to help following a disaster and aren't above using the name of a reputable organization or spoofing their logos on emails to solicit donations that just end up in an unscrupulous person's pocket. Make sure you know where your money is going before you give; otherwise, your donation won't help anyone.

Donate Time

Not everyone is able to donate money following a disaster. If this is the case, you can give up some of your time to relief efforts. This may mean traveling to the site of the disaster to help with cleanup efforts or working from home to assemble care packages, knit warm clothing, or whatever the need may be. In ways like these, you can still help without even giving a dime.

Give Blood

A natural disaster often results in many serious injuries that cause significant loss of blood. These can cause blood banks to run dry. Disasters can deplete blood reserves very quickly, so donating blood can literally be a lifesaver.

Organize a Fundraiser 

The help you can give by yourself may be small, though still very much appreciated. However, if you can organize a fundraiser and get many people involved, the combined efforts of many people working together can make a big difference. You can do something to raise money, such as a bake sale or a talent show, or you can start a drive specifically to collect supplies that are needed, such as blankets or medical supplies. If you are part of a large organization, such as a school, club, or church, it may be easier to run a fundraiser as part of their larger charitable efforts. However, even if you have no such affiliations, you can still organize a fundraiser by yourself. It may just require more steps.

Don't feel bad if you can only help in a way that feels small. The efforts of many people can quickly add up to something significant. It is better to help in a small, particular way than to feel so overwhelmed by the size of the problem that it paralyzes you into non-action.