Tornadoes, fires, hurricanes, unexpected death or injury – disaster strikes somewhere in someone’s life every day. Our hearts often long to do help provide relief, and meet the needs of those who suffer. But what are the best ways to help those in tragedy and relieve suffering? And how can you make a difference when you have very few funds to spare? The worst thing you can do is to throw your hands up in the air and do nothing at all. Here are a few ideas for practical, thrifty generosity.
Gather What You Have
Believe it or not, you may have many of the things that people in need require in the midst of tragedy. Toilet paper, non-perishable foods, shampoo, deodorant, soap – all of the essential items people might loose suddenly and tragically need replaced. If you have sample sized items you’ve gotten from hotels or free through the mail, those are great items to take to the local, temporary shelters established in a hurting community. Peek through your pantry to find bottled water, granola bars, applesauce, or other quick and easy foods with a long shelf life. You can probably make a difference with items you already own.
Look for Local Organizations on the Ground
Any penny donated to any non-profit is important, but if you can resource the groups, congregations, and organizations within a community who know the needs well, your dollars might stretch further. If you know someone who lives in the community, you might ask them who has a good pulse on what’s going on and where the greatest need lies. I’m a fan of assisting the Salvation Army, where volunteers and officers have been trained specifically to respond to disaster with care and excellence.
Every Dollar Counts
It’s easy to underplay any contribution you might be able to make. It could be “just” a dollar or “just” five bucks but combined with the efforts of others, your small dollars add up. If you’re already stretched to your maximum capacity, gather up the change in your car and house to make a contribution. You could even consider selling something you own and turn around to donate those dollars.
Rally Your Community
Two is always better than one. You may only be able to make a small donation on your own but whether you’re collecting food or money you can make a broader impact when you reach out to your friends and neighbors. Certainly you can go door-to-door. You could also send out an e-mail. Or you could establish a GoFundMe or YouCaring website where your friends from near and far can help add their dollars to the relief efforts. Again, be specific about where you will make your donation – whether supporting one of those local organizations or a national relief agency. Or you might also gather friends and neighbors to volunteer in affected communities. Able hands can clean up big messes and you could assist already mobilized relief groups with their efforts.
Reach Out to Relief Workers
Firemen, police officers, emergency responders, and clean up crews will be putting in long hours to help a community recover after disaster strikes. Consider dropping off bottled water, cookies, or even gift cards to local fast food restaurants to help meet their needs as they tend to others. Even baking cookies and delivering to the fire station would be a blessing and a way to indirectly encourage those who have been struck by tragedy.
You can make a difference. The worst thing you could do would be to shrug your shoulders and assume someone else will step up to care for people in the middle of need. Think creatively and do what you can with you have been given to change the world and provide some hope for those who feel downtrodden.
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