Though the storm has largely passed into the Atlantic, Floridians will slowly begin to take stock of the destruction and begin the laborious process to rebuild. More than 3 million were still without power as of Thursday morning.
How to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton
Published on October 10, 2024
Today in the Washington Post by Sara Raza: How to help victims of Hurricane Milton right now
Millions of Florida residents were impacted by Hurricane Milton’s landfall Wednesday night, the second major hurricane to hit the state in less than a month and one of the strongest ever recorded in the Gulf.
Aid organizations are already pouring into the affected zones to provide immediate care. Here’s what you can do to help.
How can I volunteer?
If you’d like to volunteer, apply to work with a reputable organization already on the ground. Though many folks like to get hands-on experience, showing up without a contact or partnering organization can be unhelpful.
If deployed, volunteers should be prepared with equipment and gear, such as boots and personal protective equipment including masks.
Here are organizations you can apply with:
- All Hands and Hearts has received overwhelming interest from volunteers for October and November but may need volunteers afterward. You can apply to volunteer here.
- The American Red Cross is seeking volunteers to serve in shelters and meet disaster-caused needs. You can apply to help here.
- The St. Bernard Project, or SBP, will take volunteers in the months ahead. You can get involved by reaching out to [email protected].
- Volunteer Florida tracks volunteer opportunities across the state of Florida. You can check for opportunities here.
Where and what can you donate?
Many organizations are already on the ground since Hurricane Helene and prepositioned operations ahead of Milton.
The best way to help recovery efforts is often with a monetary donation; financial contributions allow organizations the most flexibility when allocating funds. Do not send supplies unless requested by an organization.
Many of these organizations are providing relief across Florida and neighboring states. Here are a few organizations that are accepting donations:
- World Central Kitchen is working in locations throughout Florida to provide survivors with water and free hot meals. You can donate here.
- The American Red Cross is providing shelter, food and relief supplies. You can donate here.
- All Hands and Hearts has deployed teams to Pasco County and Sarasota to begin immediate relief efforts. You can donate here.
- Direct Relief is supplying emergency medical aid and providing financial support to local medical centers. You can donate here.
- Save the Children focuses on providing emergency supplies to children and getting them back to learning after disaster hits. You can donate here.
- Americares is supporting its 110 partner clinics in affected areas. You can donate here.
- Heart to Heart is partnering with more than 70 organizations on the ground to provide essential medical supplies. You can donate here.
- World Vision is working with partner organizations and local churches to provide generators, gas cans, food and diapers. You can donate here.
Be cautious with where you send donations following a disaster. You can verify a charity’s legitimacy on Charity Navigator.
How to help victims of Hurricane Milton - The Washington Post
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