Many people are looking for ways to help survivors of Hurricane Harvey and the flooding that followed. Here are a few things you can do this long holiday weekend:
1) Make a "welcome kit."
Austin Mayor Steve Adler has asked Austinites to make 6,000 "welcome kits" for evacuees from Harvey. These include basic items like blankets, towels and toiletries. You can find a full list of items and where to drop them off here. As of Thursday night, Adler said more than 600 kits had been dropped off.
2) Sign up to volunteer.
The Austin Disaster Relief Network is still looking for volunteers to help with relief efforts. You can find instructions on how to sign up here. There are many other organizations that need volunteers. Search for those through GivePulse. You can also volunteer to work in the field. Check out Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) for more.
3) Go to a restaurant or business doing a fundraiser.
Many restaurants and businesses in the Austin area are donating portions of their sales to relief efforts or collecting items to donate. Treat yourself and help Harvey survivors at the same time by going to one of the businesses on this list (which we're updating).
4) Adopt an animal.
The Austin Animal Center, Austin PetsAlive and the Austin Humane Society are all offering emergency shelters for pets affected by Harvey. You can help by donating money, volunteering to foster pets or adopting one.
5) Donate money.
There are many organizations collecting money for Harvey relief. They include Greater Houston Community Foundation, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, the Austin Ed Fund, United Way of Greater Houston, JJ Watt's Houston Flood Relief Fund and lots, lots more.
