Helping others

Hurricane Katrina has done a lot of damage to areas of the south, which has spurred many people into action to help. Some of this help has been in the form of what the non-profit world calls "in-kind" gifts. These are donations of physical goods/items, typically food/toys/ clothing, to charitable organizations. The Red Cross is a wonderful organization that helps people in times of emergency, but they are not set up to take these in-kind gifts. The Red Cross can make the biggest impact by working closer to where the problem is and get the best bang for the buck to help the most people possible by taking donated money and using it to purchase necessary items locally (and/or getting help through corporate partners). So if you'd like to help, the donation of money is the best way to help people that are not local to you.

Working for Orange County United Way has given me a lot of insight into how human service charities operate, and much of it was a surprise to learn. The best way you can give, in order to have the most impact, is to give money - at least in most cases. Organizations such as Goodwill and The Salvation Army are set up to take physical items, as that is a good portion of their business (of course you can still donate money to them, too). These types of charities help more on a local level, meaning people that live in your area. Donate items to these places, but also remember that other charities/organizations exist that need your financial support as well (Boys & Girls Clubs, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, etc) - not to mention volunteers to help bring services to those that need it.

My point in writing this is is to help people understand some of the differences in charities and human service organizations. There are many people who need help, so be generous - listen to your heart. If you want to help with a disaster, do so by giving above and beyond what you already give locally - as your local community organizations still need your help.

Make giving a constant thing, not just when a disaster occurs.

This entry was written in hopes that people will
give whatever they can to help others in need.