Originally published October 2017
If you live in Texas but escaped Hurricane Harvey unaffected, you may feel as though you want to do more for those who weren’t as fortunate; but you’ve already donated cash or participated in a clothing/food drive or maybe even both.
You’ve probably read articles telling you that giving cash is the best way to help disaster victims, and most experts agree that this truly is the case (seriously please donate, and do so to reputable charities). But, if you’ve given all the money and items you can spare and feel as though you want to do more, we would strongly recommend donating your time to a local shelter if you are able. Many of our fellow Texans escaped to shelters in Dallas, and some of them may become our permanent neighbors. It’s up to us to welcome them and help them start rebuilding.
This weekend we spent a few hours at the shelter within Lively Pointe Youth Center in Irving, TX. We wanted to offer some fun and games for the kids while parents took a break or took time to work on the daunting list of to-dos one faces after a natural disaster.
Upon arriving, the Red Cross volunteer let us know that some of the families had survived both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Harvey. Can you imagine having your life uprooted not once but twice? One mom told us that her house and her workplace are both destroyed so she essentially has nothing to return to. It’s difficult not to recount every story that we heard, because these stories are so impactful and motivate us to give more, do more.
There are so many ways to volunteer, and the City of Dallas and Red Cross have done a great job organizing volunteer opportunities. We encourage you to apply online and find an opportunity. If you have the time and resources, do your part to welcome Houstonians to our community.
We will be returning to Lively Pointe this week to read books to the kids. If you are interested in volunteering your time please let us know, especially if you have experience working with children and are bilingual/Spanish-speaking.