August 30th, 2017
Look for the Helpers
We know many of you have friends or family impacted by Hurricane Harvey. It can be frightening and overwhelming to see the news about the destruction happening across the Texas coast. In scary times like these, it can be helpful to do what Mr. Rogers suggested and look for the helpers. Wherever there are disasters, there are also good-hearted people who do their very best to provide aid. It can also be healing to become a helper, allowing us to shift from a helpless role to an active one. Here are some ways to help our neighbors.
Here are some actions we can take locally:
Volunteer with the Red Cross
Give blood
Go to a fundraiser at a local establishment
List your extra room on Airbnb to provide evacuees free lodging
Adopt a hurricane-evacuated pet
These food banks are accepting online donations:
The Houston Food Bank
Galveston County Food Bank
Corpus Christi Food Bank
These organizations support specific groups of people who are especially vulnerable:
Texas Diaper Bank
Portlight
Healthcare for the Homeless Houston
Local and National shelter, relief and clean-up funding:
Greater Houston Community Foundation's Hurricane Relief Fund
GlobalGiving is trying to raise $2 million for short-term and long-term relief efforts
American Red Cross
Catholic Charities
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
It’s totally normal to have a fearful, sad, angry or numb response following a natural disaster. Our brains aren’t made to respond to big, overwhelming bad news. And yet we can respond to a neighbor in need quite well. Connecting to others face-to-face and hand-to-hand during times of suffering can help ease the heartbreak, and can put us back in touch with our greatest strength-being there for each other.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you do not have to go through that feeling alone. Visit our Get Started page to get connected with a counselor who can walk alongside you through the scary parts of your journey.