On the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ida slammed Louisiana's shore as a catastrophic category 4 hurricane with winds up to 150 mph. Over 450,000 people are without power and officials admit that it could be weeks until the outages are resolved.
How to Help
It can be tempting to immediately want to send items such as clothes, furniture, diapers, food, and other supplies but cash is the best way to contribute to a long-term recovery effort with the most flexibility and least waste. Avoid scams and ensure victims receive the funds by giving to well-known and trusted organization or directly to someone you know. If you're unsure of an organization then check ratings at charity navigator.
Through Ethos Relief, we donate a portion of all sales to disaster recovery and resilience building. We recently took the Resilient Response Pledge, solidifying our promise to give back in a sustainable way that understands the true disaster recovery timeline goes well beyond when the news crews leave.
Where to Give
1. SBP
SBP's roots in New Orleans began just 6 months after hurricane Katrina. They know they can't prevent natural disasters. But they can prevent some of the suffering they cause. By increasing resilience before disasters occur and streamlining the post-disaster recovery process, they're able to fortify people against unnecessary stress and trauma. Help them invest in long-term resiliency HERE.
2. All Hands And Hearts
All Hands and Hearts arrives early and stays late to address the immediate and long-term needs of communities affected by natural disasters. Thanks to passionate volunteers, donors and partners, they’ve provided nearly 15 years of disaster relief support to over 1.2 million people and we have active programs around the world today. Sign up to volunteer or donate to the Hurricane Ida fund.
3. American Red Cross
Some 600 Red Cross volunteers are either on the ground or staged to support relief efforts after Ida makes landfall.
In addition to our pre-positioned supplies, the Red Cross has moved truckloads of additional cots, blankets and comfort kits, along with tens of thousands of ready-to-eat meals into Louisiana and Mississippi. Donate here to help Hurricane Ida victims.
4. World Central Kitchen
Chef José Andrés, who leads an organization that provides food relief in areas hit by disaster, announced that teams in New Orleans would activate its three kitchen facilities in the city. They have supplies already on hand for more than 100,000 meals. Donate to keep people fed here.
5. Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is uniquely positioned to respond with services tailored to local community needs. Mobile feeding units are being prepared for deployment to serve food, drinks, and emotional and spiritual care to survivors and first responders. Each mobile feeding unit can serve 500 to 1,500 meals per day. Donate here.
We know there are dozens of great organizations working tirelessly to help those affected and would love to hear from you on who we can help spotlight. Interested in joining a community devoted to 'preparing out loud'? Our Community of Preparedness on Facebook!