If you want to lend a helping hand, it is usually best to first find out what type of help is needed. Many times, people whose hearts are in the right place, find themselves turned away when all they want to do is help those in need.
It is nothing personal, but a process must be followed to ensure that disaster relief is done in an organized fashion. This is for the well-being of all involved. Keep in mind that people with no training or experience in search and rescue (as well as other areas) can literally create more danger, instead of providing assistance.
Finding out where you are best suited to help, and letting them use you where they can is the best way to give of yourself in such a situation.
*Keep in mind that if you will be doing any type of search/rescue, demolition, construction, clean up, etc. that it is a good idea to not only wear protective gear but to also make sure your tetanus shot is up to date.
Also, it is unfortunate, but many times supplies end up being wasted, because they are not what is needed at the time. It’s best to check before gathering and delivering supplies. Generally, clothing should be last on the list, although there are exceptions. If it’s cold out then obviously gathering coats is going to be important. Things like gloves, work gloves and blankets will be useful as well.
If a particular family needs clothing and you can collect items in their sizes, that’s great. However, piles and piles of clothing are usually left behind after disasters, so be aware of this, before you spend your time, money, and effort to gather clothes.
Here is a short list of items that are generally well-received (but it’s still best to check first):
- Bottled water
- High carb snacks
- Work gloves
- Protective eyewear
- Boxes
- Markers (to mark boxes)
- Packing tape
- Blankets
- Pillows
- Towels
- Coats/jackets
- Paper products (toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, etc)
- Minor first aid items (bandages, medical tape, gauze, antibacterial cream, over the counter pain reliever, etc)
- Personal care items (toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant)
- Cleaning supplies
- Trash bags
- Plastic sheeting or tarps
- Money (only give to reputable organizations and don’t be shy about asking for a receipt)
- Gift cards (for a meal, hotel room, clothing store, gas station)