Robert Salgado, 2, sleeps on the floor at the George R. Brown Convention Center that has been set up as a shelter for evacuees escaping the floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey in Houston, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Hurricane Harvey (or Tropical Storm Harvey, now that it’s made landfall) is being called a Storm of the Century. It has destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes in the Gulf of Mexico, has been called the worst disaster in Texas history, and is producing a steadily increasing number of deaths and injuries. Record flooding continues apace.
It’s time to counter with our own kind of flood–a flood of love. Not the Hallmark card kind, the practical kind. Love that has hands and feet. And dollar signs. And sweat.
Three things we can do:
- Give to one of the charities that are hands-on, sleeves rolled up involved in staunching the flow (see below).
- Volunteer. Consider joining a short-term mission trip or rescue support group in the Gulf area.
- Pray for those who are suffering and frightened, who’ve lost homes and possessions, or worst of all, loved ones. Pray that God will transform their circumstances with help, hope, and a “peace that passes all understanding.”
Here are some Charity Navigator-approved organizations that have boots on the ground:
Thank You for this…
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Great work! I just spoke yesterday with a friend of mine with HOPE WORLDWIDE. It’s a Christian UN-chartered charitable organization that is sending cleanup volunteers and medical teams there now. My wife and I are going to go to Texas in the next couple weeks to help with the relief.
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Ah, bless you, man (I felt hypocritical mentioning that option when we’re not doing it ourselves)!
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Thank you for something so timely, heartfelt, and practical. What One Can do! Thank you and God bless. From Texas
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What part of Texas are you in, Ellie?
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Thank you for asking Mitch. I’m high and dry in east Texas. I’m from Houston, so I still have plenty of friends and family who live in the area. I’m happy to say they are all safe and accounted for. Some of them have been affected by flooding but in the grand scheme of things, nothing that isn’t manageable. Thank you again for the reminder of how we are God’s hands in times such as this. Blessings, suzanne (ellie)
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I am really sorry to hear about. May God bless them.
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When I saw the last picture, all I could think was “Good Lord look at all that water.” I went through Hurricane Agnus in 1972, which caused devastating flooding in Pennsylvania. Our state capitol was under water. There was three feet of mud in the governor’s mansion after the waters receded. Dozens of major towns and cities were under water, including Bloomsburg, Danville, Williamsport, Wilkes-Barre. My home town of Sunbury was spared from major flooding by a river wall. Someone spray painted “We Love You Wall” on a section. Still, the storm drains and pumping stations were overwhelmed, and the river backed up into low-lying areas. We had four feet of water in our basement as a result. My heart goes out to those affected by this storm. My aunt lives in Spring, TX just outside of Houston. Thankfully, her home is on higher ground, but everywhere she walked the roads were impassable. She has never seen anything like this. God bless all those who lost loved ones or their homes. The economic impact alone will be difficult to absorb.
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Wow, you’ve had up-close-and-personal experience with this kind of flooding! Thanks for making this all the more relatable for the rest of us.
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I know exactly how it feels to be in the situation but as much as I’d like to give, I just can’t since I don’t have enough. If there’s something, it’s prayers that I can give. May God protect each of them. 😕
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Prayers are the most powerful tools of all. Bless you, Erma.
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And so true, and the fact that all of these tidings should be there far before the flood. all People, everywhere deserve the gift of God. Thank you, however, it should not take a calamity to speak that we are all brothers before our Lord. Our breathen are there always. It doesn’t take me to say it, for I am not anyone, but all are important and special in the eyes of God. God bless you. I believe you count.
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Amen, T.F.
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Thank you for calling our attention and list the agencies that provide aids and receive contributions.
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Good post, my friend. I talk about the stuff going on in Texas in my latest episode, too. Everybody should do his bit. A grain of sand — a bucket makes…
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I can’t imagine the depth of the pain and the suffering but I know that such tragedy unites. We all stand hand in hand, wanting to help but feeling overwhelmed by the enormity. Your article mobilizes, directs and guides. It is to be counted as a huge gift
to those who need it so desperately.
I will reblog this on The Peaceful Pub. (I hope that’s okay.)
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Always OK, Sarah.
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There’s been a lot of TV coverage of Harvey here. It was good to see how much support was coming from within the local community, with people taking their boats in to ferry others out.
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I hadn’t realized it was getting that much coverage outside the U.S. There’s a lot of suffering in this world–and a lot of ways to help each other through it.
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There is a lot of suffering in the world, and too often the media concentrate on the worst aspects of human nature. It’s easy to forget that there are always more people willing to help than do harm.
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Thank you for this! There was a large truck from a humanitarian organization collecting food and other items to take to Texas. They’ve been parked at Sam’s club. The truck was loaded today, I peeked inside. Praise God! We have a nation of amazing people! A flood of love as you say 🙏🏻
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Glad to hear that, Leila!
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Hello Mitch! This is a wonderful and timely post! Thank you 🙏🏻
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Thank you!
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Thanks for the information on how to help! It’s a shame that it sometimes takes nature’s worst to bring out the best in humanity. The only thing that makes thinking about the situation in Texas bearable is the knowledge that so many people are reaching out and helping.
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Thanks for valuable info for help in such devastation. One does not always know how they can help . God bless all those who can go and be there to aid such suffering, and for people like you who inform others there are many ways to help. They have been in my prayers and made a donation today.
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