Ways to Join the Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts

But as for me, I am poor and needy;
    come quickly to me, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer;
    Lord, do not delay. (Psalm 70:5)

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”        (1 Cor. 12:27)

For those who live in the southern states, August has become a dreaded month in which everyone keeps one eye on the first day of school and the other eye on the weather forecast. Several times, the former has been upstaged by the latter, in the form of disastrous hurricanes. As Harvey—good riddance to him—makes his way northeast, the people of south Texas and southwest Louisiana continue to seek and provide rescue, relief, and restoration. Many are fearful, grieving, and now destitute.

But in Texas, which has received both the lion’s share of destruction and news attention, people are living up to the meaning of their state’s Native American name: Tejas means “friend or ally.” Dozens of well-documented stories and photos of rescues by neighbors, friends, and strangers can be found on any news or social media site. The entire National Guard of Texas and its volunteer militia, the State Guard, were called up and are serving as rescuers, shelter security, and more. And let’s not forget the Cajun Navy, a group of outdoorsmen from Louisiana made famous in the 2016 Baton Rouge flood by their heroic initiative to rescue the stranded. They jumped into action for the Houston area within one day of Harvey’s landfall. Friends, indeed.

Below I’ve listed several ways to give, serve, and participate in fundraisers. Go do something!

GIVE:

Directly to your friends in need: The marathon your loved ones just unwillingly began will last months—at least. Bring, send, or ship practical items that your family or friends indicate they need, from clothing to cleaning supplies to furniture to housing to food. Some of it will be short-term but much will need to come at a later date. Don’t forget them next month or at Christmas or next spring. They’ll still be dealing with the aftermath. Consider spending your giving money on specific needs for your specific loved ones.

But remember these reputable organizations with boots on the ground, already serving with plans to stay as long as they can.

Texas Baptist Disaster Relief

The motivation behind the Disaster Relief Ministry of Texas Baptist Men can be summed up in a single phrase: “a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name.” Each year, TBM trains volunteers and coordinates efforts to provide prompt assistance and emergency support during times of disaster. TBM has been involved in disaster relief in Texas and around the world since 1967. The Southern Baptist Disaster Relief is one of the largest responders to disasters in the United States.

Texas Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) (a list of orgs)

Pick one or more! The Texas affiliate of National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD),  TXVOAD consists of organizations that have a role in one or more phases of disaster throughout the State, each of whom agrees to adhere to the 4C’s of NVOAD: cooperation, communication, coordination, and collaboration.

Mercy Chefs

This small ministry cooks up restaurant-quality meals for the first responders and then for victims of disasters. They’ve already made it to hard-hit Rockport, TX, on the coast. Donate to help them keep cooking!

SERVE:

Mission Regan
For Dallas-area residents, Mission Regan (a medical mission organization) is organizing and loading supplies to send to the Houston area. For more information go to their Facebook page