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26 ways to help the Hurricane Harvey disaster relief efforts.

Want to help but don't know where to start?

As large swaths of Texas reel from Hurricane Harvey, people around the country are looking for ways to help with what will undoubtedly be a long and expensive recovery process.

If you're someone who wants to help but don't know what organization to support beyond the Red Cross, we've compiled a list of other organizations that will also need support in the coming weeks and months.

More than anything, many of these groups need financial help, but some are also accepting supplies from local donors.

A Rockport, Texas, firefighter goes door-to-door looking for people in need of help after Hurricane Harvey. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.

Here are 26 organizations that need support in the wake of Hurricane Harvey:  

1. Global Giving is trying to raise $2 million for Hurricane Harvey relief.

In addition to providing emergency supplies such as food, water, and medicine, it will also help support the rebuilding and recovery period to follow.

2. Convoy of Hope made the trip down to Texas with truckloads of food and medical supplies in tow.

3. Americares is working to get medical supplies to evacuees and first responders.

4. Direct Relief has made its medical inventory available to help in the wake of Harvey.

The group is sending Hurricane Preparedness Packs to people on the ground in Texas and has committed $200,000 to local response efforts.

5. The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center is taking online financial donations as well as in-person blood donations.

6. Heart to Heart International is on the ground delivering medical supplies to evacuees and responders.

7. The Homeless Period Project of Austin is delivering tampons, pads, and other period-related products to people displaced by the storm.

8. Nearby Airbnb hosts can help out by listing their places for free.

The company is waiving all administrative costs while still providing the Host Guarantee insurance coverage.

9. The George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston has opened its doors to those in need of shelter.

They're in need of supplies such as baby formula, diapers, hand sanitizer, nonperishable food, sweatsuits, socks, towels, bottles of water, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, blankets, and pillows. More information can be found on the George R. Brown website.

10. The Texas Diaper Bank is providing baby supplies to families in need.

To ensure our staff is safe through the storm, we will be reopening on Monday morning at 8am to collect diapers and any...

Posted by Texas Diaper Bank on Friday, August 25, 2017

11. Local Humane Society locations are doing what they can to help lost or abandoned pets.

We want to update everyone on conditions at HHS today. We are fortunate our buildings are not under water. The far...

Posted by Houston Humane Society on Sunday, August 27, 2017

12. Austin Pets Alive has taken in more than 200 animals since the storm hit.

The group's website lists a number of ways to help out financially, by volunteering, or by fostering pets.

13. The SPCA of Texas is taking in pets from animal shelters that have been hit by the storm.

14. Portlight is assisting people with disabilities during the storm and its aftermath.

Your generous contributions to Portlight are making this possible:We are now working with the Cajun Navy...a wonderful...

Posted by

Paul Timmons on Monday, August 28, 2017

15. Local food banks will be essential in the coming weeks.

Houston Press put together a list of food banks serving areas affected by the storm. Contact those locations individually or visit the Feeding Texas website for more information on how to help.

16. Covenant House is providing shelter to homeless youth, currently caring for 79 children in Houston.

17. Save the Children set up a Harvey Children's Relief Fund to get aid to kids and families in need.

18. Team Rubicon is deploying veterans and first responders to areas affected by the storm.

19. Immigrant and refugee nonprofit RAICES is providing support for undocumented immigrants who were abandoned by ICE before the storm hit.

This is what keeping communities safe looks like to #ICE: abandoning 50 asylum seeking mothers and children at a bus station in San Antonio before a hurricane. #DefundHate #HurricaneHarvey

Posted by RAICES on Saturday, August 26, 2017

20. Similarly, Catholic Charities is providing support to undocumented immigrants in the storm's path.

21. The Transgender Foundation of America launched a relief fund to help Houston-area trans and intersex individuals during and after the storm.

Trans individuals have a history of being turned away from shelters during disasters, making the relief fund necessary for survival.

22. Lions Clubs International issued a $100,000 grant to its local chapters to buy blankets, food, and other supplies.

23. The United Way of Greater Houston allows people to target their donation by county (or just send it wherever it's needed most).

To help those affected by the storm outside the Houston area, the United Way also has a list of additional recovery funds.

24. The United Methodist Committee on Relief is providing shelter and support along evacuation routes.

25. The Houston chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America is trying to raise $50,000 for food, water, and tarps.

26. GoFundMe created a hub of its Harvey-specific campaigns for easy access.

A wide range of causes are covered on that page, from individuals trying to raise money for home repairs to getting hot meals to evacuees.

Note: As is always the case with charities, it's a good idea to do a quick search on Charity Navigator before making a donation to any organization.

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Ocean Wise
Be Ocean Wise
Planet

Easy (and free!) ways to save the ocean

The ocean is the heart of our planet. It needs our help to be healthy.

Ocean Wise

Volunteers at a local shoreline cleanup

True

The ocean covers over 71% of the Earth’s surface and serves as our planet’s heart. Ocean currents circulate vital heat, moisture, and nutrients around the globe to influence and regulate our climate, similar to the human circulatory system. Cool, right?

Our ocean systems provide us with everything from fresh oxygen to fresh food. We need it to survive and thrive—and when the ocean struggles to function healthfully, the whole world is affected.

Pollution, overfishing, and climate change are the three biggest challenges preventing the ocean from doing its job, and it needs our help now more than ever. Humans created the problem; now humans are responsible for solving it.

#BeOceanWise is a global rallying cry to do what you can for the ocean, because we need the ocean and the ocean needs us. If you’re wondering how—or if—you can make a difference, the answer is a resounding YES. There are a myriad of ways you can help, even if you don’t live near a body of water. For example, you can focus on reducing the amount of plastic you purchase for yourself or your family.

Another easy way to help clean up our oceans is to be aware of what’s known as the “dirty dozen.” Every year, scientists release an updated list of the most-found litter scattered along shorelines. The biggest culprit? Single-use beverage and food items such as foam cups, straws, bottle caps, and cigarette butts. If you can’t cut single-use plastic out of your life completely, we understand. Just make sure to correctly recycle plastic when you are finished using it. A staggering 3 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans annually. Imagine the difference we could make if everyone recycled!

The 2022 "Dirty Dozen" ListOcean Wise

If you live near a shoreline, help clean it up! Organize or join an effort to take action and make a positive impact in your community alongside your friends, family, or colleagues. You can also tag @oceanwise on social if you spot a beach that needs some love. The location will be added to Ocean Wise’s system so you can submit data on the litter found during future Shoreline Cleanups. This data helps Ocean Wise work with businesses and governments to stop plastic pollution at its source. In Canada, Ocean Wise data helped inform a federal ban on unnecessary single-use plastics. Small but important actions like these greatly help reduce the litter that ends up in our ocean.

Ocean Wise, a conservation organization on a mission to restore and protect our oceans, is focused on empowering and educating everyone from individuals to governments on how to protect our waters. They are making conservation happen through five big initiatives: monitoring and protecting whales, fighting climate change and restoring biodiversity, innovating for a plastic-free ocean, protecting and restoring fish stocks, and finally, educating and empowering youth. The non-profit believes that in order to rebuild a resilient and vibrant ocean within the next ten years, everyone needs to take action.

Become an Ocean Wise ally and share your knowledge with others. The more people who know how badly the ocean needs our help, the better! Now is a great time to commit to being a part of something bigger and get our oceans healthy again.

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Artists got fed up with these 'anti-homeless spikes.' So they made them a bit more ... comfy.

"Our moral compass is skewed if we think things like this are acceptable."

Photo courtesy of CC BY-ND, Immo Klink and Marco Godoy

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These are called "anti-homeless spikes." They're about as friendly as they sound.

As you may have guessed, they're intended to deter people who are homeless from sitting or sleeping on that concrete step. And yeah, they're pretty awful.

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Prudential
Prudential
Sponsored

Meet the 18-year-old advocating for teen mental health, one inspiring podcast at a time

All images provided by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

Collins after being selected by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

True

A changemaker is anyone who takes creative action to solve an ongoing problem—be it in one’s own community or throughout the world.

And when it comes to creating positive change, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective can hold just as much power as years of experience. That’s why, every year, Prudential Emerging Visionaries celebrates young people for their innovative solutions to financial and societal challenges in their communities.

This national program awards 25 young leaders (ages 14-18) up to $15,000 to devote to their passion projects. Additionally, winners receive a trip to Prudential’s headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, where they receive coaching, skills development, and networking opportunities with mentors to help take their innovative solutions to the next level.

For 18-year-old Sydnie Collins, one of the 2023 winners, this meant being able to take her podcast, “Perfect Timing,” to the next level.

Since 2020, the Maryland-based teen has provided a safe platform that promotes youth positivity by giving young people the space to celebrate their achievements and combat mental health stigmas. The idea came during the height of Covid-19, when Collins recalled social media “becoming a dark space flooded with news,” which greatly affected her own anxiety and depression.

Knowing that she couldn’t be the only one feeling this way, “Perfect Timing” seemed like a valuable way to give back to her community. Over the course of 109 episodes, Collins has interviewed a wide range of guests—from other young influencers to celebrities, from innovators to nonprofit leaders—all to remind Gen Z that “their dreams are tangible.”

That mission statement has since evolved beyond creating inspiring content and has expanded to hosting events and speaking publicly at summits and workshops. One of Collins’ favorite moments so far has been raising $7,000 to take 200 underserved girls to see “The Little Mermaid” on its opening weekend, to “let them know they are enough” and that there’s an “older sister” in their corner.

Of course, as with most new projects, funding for “Perfect Timing” has come entirely out of Collins’ pocket. Thankfully, the funding she earned from being selected as a Prudential Emerging Visionary is going toward upgraded recording equipment, the support of expert producers, and skill-building classes to help her become a better host and public speaker. She’ll even be able to lease an office space that allows for a live audience.

Plus, after meeting with the 24 other Prudential Emerging Visionaries and her Prudential employee coach, who is helping her develop specific action steps to connect with her target audience, Collins has more confidence in a “grander path” for her work.

“I learned that my network could extend to multiple spaces beyond my realm of podcasting and journalism when industry leaders are willing to share their expertise, time, and financial support,” she told Upworthy. “It only takes one person to change, and two people to expand that change.”

Prudential Emerging Visionaries is currently seeking applicants for 2024. Winners may receive up to $15,000 in awards and an all-expenses-paid trip to Prudential’s headquarters with a parent or guardian, as well as ongoing coaching and skills development to grow their projects.

If you or someone you know between the ages of 14 -18 not only displays a bold vision for the future but is taking action to bring that vision to life, click here to learn more. Applications are due by Nov. 2, 2023.
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