The Do’s and Don’ts of Helping Hurricane Survivors 800 miles Away from Acadiana

The Do’s and Don’ts of Helping Hurricane Survivors 800 miles Away from Acadiana

Living in south Louisiana means that you’ve likely experienced the damaging effects of a natural disaster. 

My husband and I personally lost 95% of our belongings when our moving truck caught on fire in July 2005. We were 2 years into our marriage, and it was a traumatic experience for us. Then a little over a month later, my family (including most of my extended family) lost everything in August 2005 from Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of Buras, Louisiana (where my husband and I had just moved from when our fire happened). 

The experience of replacing everything can be overwhelming. 

I remember wanting to make something for dinner, and I didn’t have a vegetable peeler anymore. This was months after our fire and the hurricane, but the wave of grief of losing everything caught me. 

I remember telling one of my coworkers about it the next day, and I felt so silly talking about it with tears in my eyes. But I was grieving what was no more. Life was not the same as it had been just months before. 

A few days later, Cissy Beauboeuf, my coworker, handed me a red Kitchen Aid set of kitchen tools (including a vegetable peeler) and a card with some cash that had been collected from the other teachers and staff. I was humbled but so grateful to have something that I needed. I still have those kitchen tools almost 20 years later, and I am grateful for the memories attached – both the loss and the replacement. 

In Louisiana, we know how to show up and help our community. 

But when tragic destruction happens outside of our local area, there is such a feeling of helplessness. We have the empathy to know how they feel and what they are experiencing, be it devastation from the hurricane or flooding, but it is hard to know exactly what to do when the distance is so great. 

And now, as we are experiencing sunny, beautiful weather in Acadiana, there are cities that are hundreds of miles away from coastal areas (and from us) that have been decimated by the recent hurricanes.

So what can we do almost 800 miles away from those who are experiencing the kind of loss that we have experienced ourselves? 

Do’s of Helping: 

1. Donate money to trusted sources

Not every organization is credible. Nowadays, we are hit with all kinds of false opportunities only to be scammed into giving money that will never reach the hands of those in need. 

• Mercy Chefs – These chefs prepare delicious hot meals to be delivered to the hurricane victims and those helping with recovery efforts. Your donation will go to getting the supplies needed to keep the meals going! Each meal helps those effected focus on other things like clean up efforts and rebuilding, especially while they do not have the supplies and resources to cook themselves. 
• The Red Cross – The Red Cross states that they are proud that an average of 90 cents of every dollar is invested in helping those in need. They are able to provide resources to hurricane victims to help them as needed. 
• Convoy of Hope has been helping people through the aftermath of natural disasters for many years. About 92% of what is donated goes directly to help fund programs that “serve and empower vulnerable people”. 
• Operation Blessing is an organization that provides hunger relief, medical care, clean water, and disaster relief to millions around the world. If you are in a position to travel and volunteer physically, they will even take volunteers to help clean and rebuild areas effected.
• Portlight Disaster Strategies is a special needs help organizations focusing on helping families with additional medical supplies and equipment during natural disasters.

Whomever it is that you decide to partner with financially, do your part by researching and knowing that your money will get to someone in need. It does not have to be extreme giving. A little adds up to help someone replace what they need when they need it. Even $10 can help buy food and water for someone. 

Give with a generous, cheerful heart knowing that you are giving what you can!

2. Build a kit of supplies

Convoy of Hope provides the opportunity for you (and others) to build care kits for those in need. Collecting toiletries, first aid items, cleaning supplies,  and other basic necessities can be a way that you can tangibly donate resources that are needed by those who have lost it all. There are various ways that they will connect those supplies with those in need. 

Don’ts of Helping: 

There is a time and place for encouraging words. Sometimes encouragement can be taken the wrong way even though the intentions are pure – you just want to lift someone up. People who have lost everything in a natural disaster are grieving the loss, so keep that in mind if you are communicating with someone who is going through this painful experience. If you have friends or family in an area that has been impacted, think about what you say before you say it. Here is a link to some things not to say. 

I know that people want to donate clothes and other used items, but when you’ve lost everything, going through clothes that don’t fit and aren’t really your style can be frustrating. Also, when there is something that you can’t figure out how to make furniture or other items work because it’s close to being broken can add more pain to the process. There are not many organizations who will be able to haul clothes from Acadiana to Asheville. Relief efforts are underway in the effected areas already so if you feel inclined to donate physical items, see if you can help one of those organization. Otherwise, the best method to help those effected by Hurricane Helene and the subsequent flooding is to donate monetarily to organizations who will be able to provide aid quickly. 

It is devastating to see the imagery of the loss. 

Katrina happened as social media was getting its start on the world wide web, so many people did not publish their lives. I know my sweet little community of Buras is not the same as it was pre-Katrina. Many others will have that same story with a different name.

Let these stories and images compel you to do what you can. One person can make a difference when we join forces to bring the change we want to see. It’s never too late to be a part of something great.