On September 26, Hurricane Helene hit the Florida Gulf coast and moved northward, weakening from a category-4 hurricane to a tropical storm. Even weakened, Helene brought devastating winds, record rain, and flooding to Georgia and the Carolinas. Each community affected is dealing with “different struggles,” according to a press release from the Red Cross.
“Helene was the strongest hurricane to ever hit Florida’s Big Bend region and at 420 miles wide, regions and communities are still facing its impacts across an enormous area of the country,” Trevor Riggen, president of Red Cross Humanitarian Services, said in the press release.
In Georgia and Tennessee, the storm left mass power outages, blocked roads, and flooding. In North Carolina, the National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Emergency — a warning that is only used during rare, life-threatening emergencies — across portions of 21 counties. After the storm, entire neighborhoods were submerged up to their roofs in water.
Hurricane Helene’s path of destruction was clearly widespread and devastating, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t make a difference.
What can you do to help?
Dozens of nonprofits are jumping into action to aid the communities affected by Helene. The Red Cross is launching a response along the entire 500-mile path of destruction, the United Way established a Hurricane Helene Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund, and the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster is organizing volunteers to aid communities — and these are just a few of the organizations pitching in.
The fastest way to start helping is to send money, according to the Federal Emergency Relief Agency. Contact your school administration and see if you can host a fundraiser on campus to aid in relief efforts. Bake sales, raffles, and donation jars around campus are all easy ways to raise money for humanitarian efforts such as those listed above. Be sure to get permission from your campus officials before hosting any events.
Some organizations like Second Harvest Food Bank are also accepting food and water donations. For campuses in the area, you can register to host a food drive on the Second Harvest website. Save the Second Harvest volunteer time and money by dropping off donations in person at their facility, but be sure to give at least 24-hour notice before a drop-off.
If you attend school in another part of the country, you can still support food banks in affected communities with direct donations. Your contribution will go toward extra expenses like buying gas for food delivery trucks and purchasing extra food. You can find food banks to donate funds to via the Feeding American website.
If your campus can’t get involved, remember that no donation is too small! Just a few dollars can buy a meal for someone in need. Sending donation sites around to friends, family, and community can also help spread awareness for aid efforts.
More importantly, remember that recovery efforts are ongoing, and continue to provide support when you can.
“Our hearts go out to all those who have been affected, and we want you to know that you are not alone,” Riggen said. “The Red Cross and our partners will be there to provide shelter, food and comfort in the days, weeks and months ahead.”