When news comes out about the plight of victims in a natural disaster, the urge to help is strong. Unfortunately, acting on these urges with the best of intentions can create new problems on top of the crisis victims and the response services are already having to deal with.
According to emergency response and management officials, hauling unsolicited goods from outside the area is not recommended. Often such well-meaning efforts are not coordinated with emergency services so the items are not what is needed, do not reach those who might be able to use them and end up as garbage piles needing to be dealt with later.
The following is from a publication by International Association for Disaster Preparedness and Response (DERA) Emergency Response Director Bascombe J. Wilson, CEM.
A cash donation to established relief agencies is ALWAYS the most useful immediate response to disasters by people outside the affected area. Cash contributions allow relief organizations to immediately purchase exactly what is most urgently needed by disaster victims and to deliver this critical aid quickly.
AdvertisementClick for more information
AdvertisementClick for more information
Supplies, particularly food and clothing, can almost always be purchased near the impacted area–even in very extreme disasters. The problem is almost never a lack of food and clothing, but a lack of distribution within the immediate disaster area.
Unrequested shipments can do more harm than good. Unrequested shipments only slow down the already burdened distribution system and may actually delay receipt of critically needed aid.
When relief teams have the funds to purchase food and other supplies close to the disaster area, they are able to stimulate local economies that have been seriously hurt by disaster while greatly reducing transportation and storage costs for diverse loads coming in from [outside the affected area.]
Those seeking to provide financial aid also need to do so carefully. Scams set up around disasters targeting donators intent on helping those in need. As a result, it is a good idea to know exactly who is taking financial donations. For donators outside the affected area this usually means giving to well-known national organizations with “boots on the ground” in the affected areas.
Click for more information
Click for more informationOne such organization is the American Red Cross. They spent over $2 million in emergency response and recovery around the 2014 wildfires. According to a recent article in the Wenatchee World, “The American Red Cross Northwest Region needs two things for its fire relief efforts: money and people.”
According to local Northwest Washington Chapter Executive Director Karen Miller, donations can be specifically designated to go directly toward helping those affected by the wildfires in Washington by donating by phone or in-person. Phone donations can be made by calling 1-800-HELP NOW (1-800-435-7669). In-person donations can be made at the local American Red Cross office at 2111 King Street, Bellingham WA weekdays from 9am to 2:30pm.
Online donations can be made to the general American Red Cross Disaster Relief effort. Text messaging REDCROSS to 90999 is another way to give $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief.
Volunteers can make themselves available by contacting the local American Red Cross office at (360) 733-3290 or stopping by at 2111 King Street, Bellingham WA weekdays from 9am to 2:30pm. According to Miller, they have already sent a dozen volunteers to provide assistance.
The Wildland Firefighter Foundation accepts donations at wffoundation.org to aid survivors of firefighters who have died in the line of duty and those recovering from injuries