Stepping up to help Hurricane Harvey victims in time of need

After seeing coverage of Hurricane Harvey’s record-breaking floods, Cortez business owners and residents wanted to find a way to help those affected by the disaster.

Nancy Franklin, manager of the Flippin’ Mullet Sports Bar and the Swordfish Grill and Tiki restaurant, said two fishermen approached her on Monday morning and said, “We can’t stand this anymore. We have to do something.”

Franklin and Bob Slicker, the restaurant’s general manager, took to social media. Soon enough, the restaurant turned into a staging area for physical donations.

By Wednesday morning, Franklin said they were ready to send a donated trailer packed with bottled water, clothing, bug spray and other supplies to Texas. The restaurant is working with the Cajun Navy and other relief groups in getting help to those in Houston and the surrounding areas.

The Cajun Navy is an informal organization of private recreation boat owners based in Louisiana who assist in search-and-rescue efforts. The volunteer grassroots group is best known for its rescue efforts after Hurricane Katrina ripped through New Orleans in 2005.

“Cortez is a very tight-knit group of people and we really try to help people out whenever we can,” Franklin said. “Because they would turn around and do something for us.”

Though physical supplies may be needed in the weeks and months following a disaster, it’s often a burden on emergency crews when delivery attempts are made in the immediate aftermath of a storm. The U.S. Center for Disaster Information and the Federal Emergency Management Agency agree cash donations are the most efficient and effective way to help those affected right away.

The suggestion for cash donations instead of physical supplies in the immediate aftermath isn’t meant to push away those who want to help. Collecting physical supplies and properly storing them until they’re needed, often months down the road and after media attention on the disaster has faded, can be helpful to communities as they continue to recover.

“(Physical supplies) require transportation — which is expensive and logistically complicated — and a pre-identified recipient on the ground who will receive the shipment, pay customs and other fees, sort and distribute the items,” according to the Center for Disaster Information’s Guidelines for Giving.

Emergency crews can use cash donations to buy supplies as needed.

FEMA suggests donating money through a trusted organization, such as the many voluntary-, faith- and community-based national groups active after disasters. To find an organization to donate to, visit the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster website at nvoad.org. To research the credibility and financial history of the organization before donating, visit guidestar.org or check the organization’s website for how it intends to use donations.

For more information on how to donate responsibly, visit FEMA’s website: fema.gov/volunteer-donate-responsibly.

For information on local, state and national organizations collecting donations for Hurricane Harvey relief, refer to the list compiled by the Houston Chronicle at chron.com.

This story was originally published August 30, 2017 at 3:49 PM with the headline "Stepping up to help Hurricane Harvey victims in time of need."