Ready WV Logo
YouTube Twitter Facebook
Navigation Menu

How to Help Tornado Survivors

5/24/2013

 

The National VOAD community of trusted agencies is working to identify opportunities to provide assistance to communities impacted by the recent tornadoes. Your help is needed!  

Here’s how you can make a difference now:

Give Blood 
The need for blood rises during disasters of this scale, and this problem is exacerbated in affected areas where blood drives may have been cancelled. You can locate information about donating through the American Red Cross or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.

Cash Contributions 
Cash donations are very useful in situations where supplies must be acquired quickly. This is the most efficient way to make an impact with your donations. Donate to support relief and recovery efforts by visiting the National VOAD Member Page. 
 
For information about the Oklahoma VOAD, and further developing information please visit their website and Facebook page.
Oklahoma VOAD: Website  Facebook

Don't Send Unsolicited Donations 
One of the biggest issues around disasters is the amount of unsolicited item donations that start to come in immediately. It's better to wait until communities assess and confirm their needs before you start donating items. At that time, you can make your donations to non-profits through the National Donations Management Network.

Volunteer 
For those wishing to help in the Oklahoma area, please register here in order to be contacted and placed with a team: http://www.volunteercentraloklahoma.org/

Affiliate with existing non-profit organizations before coming to the disaster area. Immediately following a disaster, a community can become easily overwhelmed by the amount of generous people who want to help. Contacting and affiliating with an established organization will help to ensure that you are appropriately trained to respond in the most effective way. 
 
Be safe: Do not self-deploy until a need has been identified and the local community impacted has requested support. Wait until it is safe to travel to volunteer sites and opportunities have been identified. Once assigned a position, make sure you have been given an assignment and are wearing proper safety gear for the task. 

Be patient: Recovery lasts a lot longer than the media attention. There will be volunteer needs for many months, often years, after the disaster - especially when the community enters the long-term recovery period.

Contact: