The entire Pledge 1% community stands with the families, individuals, businesses, and organizations in Texas and along the Gulf Coast that have been effected by Harvey.  Only a few days after the storm hit, thousands of people have been displaced and there is a great need to support communities in need in Texas and beyond.  No matter your company’s pledge type, there’s a way you and your team can make an impact.

 

Give funds:

In times of disaster, it’s always best to donate funds versus goods, as many organizations get overwhelmed with incoming donated clothing, supplies and food.  As a company, you can organize a team Harvey fund to collect donations to donate as a group.  You can also talk to your executive team about matching employee gifts, to help your team’s generosity go even further.

Here’s some funds that are currently accepting donations for Harvey relief:

 

Give time:

There’s always a need for volunteers and there’s no better time to activate your pledge to give 1% of time.  If you are in the Houston area, ask your colleagues if they would consider volunteering to help the many organizations on the ground providing shelter and supplies.  You could also organize a team volunteer event in the weeks following the storm to help with clean up and any other needs.  Here’s some organizations to help you find nonprofits to volunteer with:

  • VolunteerMatch has put together this post with information and names to volunteer if you are in the area.
  • The American Red Cross also offers a disaster relief training program for volunteers to help.  You can learn more here.

 

Give product and goods:

It’s always better to give money versus goods during disaster, but there are many ways companies are giving product to help with relief.  For instance, Airbnb has set up an urgent accommodations site for people to house evacuees and provide shelters. Airbnb is waiving all service fees for those who check in this week.

If your company serves the greater Houston area, think about what products you can donate now or after the storm settles.  There will be plenty of rebuilding of homes, schools, communities, parks and more.  Do you have any supplies or goods you can donate to help communities save on those costs?

In the meantime, you could organize an office clothing or food drive this week.  If you want to donate food, Feeding Texas is working alongside state and federal relief efforts.  You can also donate to many local food banks.

 

Give blood:

Local organizations like Carter BloodCare and the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center are accepting blood donations.  You can also go to your local Red Cross to learn more about becoming a blood donor.  Email your team with information about where they can give blood locally or offer an afternoon or VTO time for people to leave the office and donate.

Of course, these are only a few of many organizations working hard to help those effected by the storm.  To learn more, follow us on Twitter @PledgeOne for more recommendations and ideas to give.

Our thoughts are with all of those effected by the storm, and we encourage you to join us and other Pledge 1% members in supporting the relief efforts in the Gulf Coast.

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