Red Cross Offers Way to Help Victims of Hurricane Harvey

The effects of Hurricane Harvey in Houston will be felt in that region for weeks and months to come and the Red Cross has been there with the boots on the ground since before the storm made landfall over the weekend.

Houston officials estimate as many as 50,000 residents will be in need of emergency shelter before the storm moves out later this week.

Many of us here in Northeast Georgia have been watching the news reports of the flooding and how tens of thousands of Houston residents have lost everything to the storm.

Now, you might be wanting to find a way to help.

Davina Mims-Pucket is the Regional Communications Manager for the Red Cross of Georgia.

She says the best way to help is to send money.

“While many people would like to donate items to help victims of Hurricane Harvey, the Red Cross does not have the ability to distribute those items,” she said. “The best way to is to make a financial donation. That’s going to be the quickest and easiest way to get help into the hands of the people who need it most. You can simply do that by texting the word, “Harvey” to 90999 to make a $10 donation from your phone”

The Red Cross has enough shelter supplies in Texas to support 28,000 people and supplies for an additional 22,000 people are being sent in now.

In addition, tractor trailer loads of ready-to-eat meals, comfort kits, kitchen supplies and cleaning supplies are already in Texas.

Right now, hundreds of Red Cross volunteers from all over the country are in Houston, working to provide safe shelter and comfort to people impacted by this devastating storm.

And Mims-Puckett said it’s not too late to sign up and become a volunteer.

“You can help by signing up to become a volunteer. We know that the effects of Harvey are going to affect people in Texas and Louisiana for weeks, months to come. So signing up to become a volunteer can be done online by going to RedCross.org to learn about available opportunities,” she said.

Another way you can help is by donating blood and blood platelets to ensure hospitals and other medical facilities in the Houston area have an adequate supply.

There are several blood drives going on in our area this week and in the coming weeks.

You can donate blood today at Piedmont College in Demorest from 12:30p to 5:30p and also at Northridge Medical Center in Commerce from 10a to 3p.

Then on September 7th there will be a blood donation drive at the Walmart Super Center on Anderson Highway in Hartwell.

But you can also give blood and blood platelets by contacting the Red Cross Blood Donation Centers in Athens and Gainesville and scheduling an appointment.