how to help
Here's how Texans can help those affected by Hurricane Laura
Hurricane Laura, a Category 4 storm that is considered one of the strongest to ever make landfall, has hit along northern Texas and western Louisiana coast. (This comes just after Tropical Storm Marco made landfall in Mississippi on August 26.)
Areas such as Lake Charles, Louisiana, have been especially battered by what the National Weather Service describes as a life-threatening and “unsurvivable” 15- to 20-foot storm surge, winds of up to 150 miles per hour, torrential rain, flooding, and tornadoes. And many Texans know all too well that recovery from Laura will take days, weeks, months, and even years.
Locally, the American Red Cross is looking for donations as it continues to operate a shelter in the Austin Convention Center and Austin Pets Alive! is in need of pet carriers, supplies, and foster volunteers as it takes in animals from hurricane-battered areas.
Project HOPE tells CultureMap that its emergency response team is being mobilized to dispatch to the Gulf Coast and a dedicated Hurricane Laura relief fund is in place.
For those seeking to contribute, navigating exactly which group or organization is best to donate to can be challenging. To that end, Charity Navigator has vetted what are described as “highly rated organizations” that provide relief and support to those affected with dedicated funds.
The site adds that it will continuously update this resource as other nonprofits providing direct relief are identified and vetted by its analysts.
Here are the organizations vetted by Charity Navigator:
- All Hands and Hearts Smart Response
- American Red Cross
- Americares
- Center for Disaster Philanthropy
- Direct Relief
- Family Promise
- GlobalGiving
- Good360
- Heart to Heart International
- Houston SPCA
- Matthew 25: Ministries
- Operation USA
- SBP
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CultureMap will update this listing.