Bubby and Bean ::: Living Creatively: 10 Ways to Directly Help Those Affected By Harvey

I had a different post scheduled for today but I'm pushing it back, because I can't just go about things as usual when several of my family members and friends - and many, many thousands of others - who live in Texas are experiencing pretty extreme levels of devastation right now. This blog and the Bubby and Bean social channels have a purpose that is light-hearted. They exist to give our readers and followers a break from "the hard stuff" by focusing on fun topics like design, family, food, and style. But (and I am so grateful for this), we have established a large readership over the years, which means this platform also has the potential to help others. And I want to do that today.

I spent a couple of hours yesterday doing research on what Texas residents really need, what programs will actually help them, and how to avoid scams. And I came up with this list. If you know of other organizations or ways to provide assistance that I am missing, please share in the comments.

1. Donate to GlobalGiving, the largest global crowdfunding community, which is attempting to raise $2 million for their Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund. This fund will provide relief to survivors in the form of emergency supplies like food, water, and medicine in addition to longer-term recovery assistance to help residents recover and rebuild. All donations to this fund will exclusively support relief and recovery efforts from this storm.

2. Help animals being affected by the disaster. The Houston Humane Society, SPCA of Texas, and Austin Pets Alive! are all organizing efforts and/or accepting donations.

3. Send baby diapers, wipes, baby clothes, and blankets to The Texas Diaper Bank. (We are sending a box today.) Their address is 5415 Bandera Road, Suite 504, San Antonio, TX 78238.

4. Donate to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, which was put into place by Sylvester Turner (Houston's mayor) and connects donors with a network of nonprofits who are helping those affected.

5. Give blood via the American Red Cross, Carter BloodCare (local) or the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center (local).

6. Donate to The LGBTQ Disaster Relief Fund, which will be used to help individuals and families rebuild their lives through counseling, case management, direct assistance with food, furniture, housing and more. If you are local, you can also volunteer with them.

7. Supply shelf stable food, diapers, cleaning supplies, or monetary donations to the Houston Food Bank. If you are local, you can volunteer with them as well.

8. Help those with disabilities affected by Harvey by donating to Portlight Inclusive Strategies, which facilitates projects involving people with disabilities, including post-disaster relief work. They have also set up a hotline (800-626-4959) to refer people with disabilities who may be in the affected areas to locate services and resources they may need organization.

9. Donate to the American Red Cross via their website. You can also donate $10 just by texting HARVEY to 90999.

10. Choose an organization through Charity Navigator, who rates and identifies worthy charities, and is transparent about which ones donate most or all funding directly to those in need.

Seeing pictures of the disaster caused by Harvey and hearing stories from loved ones experiencing the devastation first hand is heart wrenching, and I am continuing to hold everyone affected in my heart - but that's not enough. I wish I could pack up my babes and fly down there and do something more than just sending clothes and money, but right now, that is the best I can offer. If you live in Texas and are reading this, we love you and want to help, so if you know of better ways to do so, please let me know. Thank you all for reading and sharing this post.