Hurricane Florence: How To Help Victims Recover

CHARLOTTE, NC — From former NBA superstar Michael Jordan to local, state and national organizations, there are a variety of safe options to aid those affected by Hurricane Florence. The storm already has claimed at least five lives and wreaked havoc throughout the Carolinas, and intensified inland flooding could get worse in the coming days. If you want to help, here are some ways.

A good place to start is Charity Navigator, which calls itself "Your Guide to Intelligent Giving," It has a section devoted to Florence, and gives you multiple options for general aid relief, medical services, housing and shelter, animal care and services, financial aid for families, as well as food and hunger relief.

Jordan, now lead owner of the Charlotte Hornets, is spearheading NBA efforts to help. He grew up in Wilmington, NC, which was one of the first places battered by the storm.

"It’s truly devastating for me to see the damage that Hurricane Florence is doing to my beloved home state of North Carolina and to the surrounding areas," Jordan said in a statement. "The recovery effort will be massive, and it will take a long time to repair the damage and for families to get back on their feet.

". . .Please join me, the Hornets organization and the NBA and donate to one of the local organizations assisting in the relief and recovery efforts. To all those affected, stay safe and know that we’re here to help."

Elsewhere on the national level, Google has a page devoted to Florence aid, as does Habitat For Humanity. Too, of course, there's the American Red Cross and the United Way.

Closer to home, there are such places as the Food Bank of Central & Eastern Carolina, and the local Salvation Army. Not to forget, there's the Diaper Bank of North Carolina.

Here's a great resource article from the New York Times about Florence aid. It has good suggestions about how and where to donate, and points out that, "Sending money is almost always the most efficient way to help in a disaster, according to the Center for International Disaster Information, part of the United States Agency for International Development. Otherwise, valuable time might be lost sorting through a mountain of donated goods that do not serve people’s immediate needs."

The Vox website has a particularly detailed page devoted to Florence, and it also includes a ProPublica article regarding giving after a disaster, with three primary points:

• Do your own research before giving to any group.
• Groups with strong local ties to their community can sometimes be the best option.
• You have a right to demand accountability of the groups you give to.

Also of note, Florence relief aid already has become something of a hot topic in Congress, per The News & Observer in Raleigh: "Congressional Republican leaders are confident the government has enough disaster aid to help with Hurricane Florence relief. Some Democrats think more money will be needed. That could trigger a political battle just weeks before the midterm elections."

(Stay on top of all the latest Hurricane Florence news with our free, real-time news alerts, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. And like Patch on Facebook!)

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