Sometimes bad, unimaginable things happen to good people. If you want to help the people of Oklahoma that this happened to this week, here are some links for things you can do. (This information is taken straight from an NBC news site. I just took out the ads.)
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How to help Oklahoma tornado victims
By Suzanne Choney, Contributing Writer, NBC News,
Ben Popken and Devin Coldewey also contributed to this report.
The
loss of life and stunning devastation in Oklahoma City suburbs after a
monster tornado ripped through the area are heart-wrenching. "The
streets are just gone. The signs are just gone," said Oklahoma Gov. Mary
Fallin, after she toured the area by helicopter Tuesday. And many, many
relief organizations are getting the message out on how to help.
American Red Cross
The
Red Cross has set up shelters in various communities. You can donate to the
Red Cross Disaster Relief fund here,
and the organization also suggests giving blood at your local hospital
or blood bank. Fundraising efforts were buoyed Tuesday by a $1 million
pledge from Kevin Durant, of the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team,
via his family foundation.
If you're searching for a missing relative, check
Red Cross Safe & Well's site.
And please register if you're within the disaster region. The site is
designed to make communication easier after a tragedy like this.
If
you want to send a $10 donation to the Disaster Relief fund via text
message, you can do so by texting the word REDCROSS to 90999. As in the
case with other donations via mobile, the donation will show up on your
wireless bill, or be deducted from your balance if you have a prepaid
phone. You need to be 18 or older, or have parental permission, to
donate this way. (If you change your mind, text the word STOP to
90999.)
The Red Cross also accepts frequent flier
miles as donations. Delta, United Airlines and US Airways partner with
the Red Cross throughout the year, which uses miles to help get
volunteers and staff to key locations during disasters. (Note: The
donation is not tax-deductible as the IRS considers it a gift.) For
Delta, email: delta.bids@delta-air.com with your SkyMiles number, the
number of miles you want to donate, and specify the Red Cross as the
charity. You can donate miles online at
United Airlines Donate Your Miles and
US Airways Dividend Miles.
Phone: 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767); for Spanish speakers, 1-800-257-7575; for TDD, 1-800-220-4095
.
OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund
The state of Oklahoma, coordinating with the United Way of Central Oklahoma, on Tuesday established the
OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund
to help "with the long-term medical, emotional and educational needs
of victims of the May 20 tornado in Moore and the May 19 tornado near
Shawnee."
Phone: 1-405-236-8441.
Phone: 1-405-972-1111
Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief
This
organization says donations will "go straight to help those in need
providing tree removal services, laundry services and meals to victims
of disasters."
It is requesting monetary donations (It says clothing is NOT needed). For more information, and to donate, visit
Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief's website.
You can send checks to: BGCO, Attn: Disaster Relief, 3800 N. May Ave., Oklahoma City, OK., 73112.
Salvation Army
The
Salvation Army
is organizing disaster response units to serve hard-hit areas in
central Oklahoma, including Moore, where it is sending mobile kitchens
that can serve meals to 2,500 people a day, and to South Oklahoma City.
In Little Axe, Okla., the organization said, the army's Central
Oklahoma Area Command Disaster Service Unit was busy feeding breakfast,
lunch and dinner to people, "even as one of our Salvation Army family
member's home was destroyed."
Supporters can donate online via the organization's website,
SalvationArmyUSA.org. You can also text the word STORM to 80888 to make a $10 donation via cellphone.
If
you want to send a check, the Salvation Army asks that you put the
words "Oklahoma Tornado Relief" on the check, and mail it to: The
Salvation Army, P.O. Box 12600, Oklahoma City, OK., 73157.
Phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769).
Feed the Children
Feed the Children has set up
five locations
in Oklahoma City to accept donations to help victims of the Moore
tornado. The organization is accepting items including diapers, canned
goods, non-perishable food, snack items, water and sports drinks. The
organization is also supporting mobile canteens in partnership with the
Salvation Army and the Red Cross.
You can
donate online, or make a $10 donation by texting the word DISASTER to 80888.
Phone: 1-800-627-4556
United Way of Central Oklahoma
A disaster relief fund is being activated as of May 21 so that
individuals can specifically donate to tornado relief-and-recovery
efforts, the organization says on
its site.
"Financial contributions are the best way to help unless otherwise requested." Donations can be made online at United Way of Central Oklahoma’s Disaster Relief Fund is open. Donations may be made
online here.
Checks, with a notation of "May Tornado Relief" can also be sent to the
United Way of Central Oklahoma, P.O. Box 837, Oklahoma City, OK ,
73101.
Feeding America
Through its network of more than 200 food banks,
Feeding America,
whose mission is to "feed America's hungry through a nationwide network
of member food banks," says it will deliver truckloads of food, water
and supplies to communities in need, in Oklahoma, and will also "set up
additional emergency food and supply distribution sites as they are
needed." You can donate online
here.
Phone: 1-800-910-5524.
Operation USA
The
international relief group, based in Los Angeles, says it is "readying
essential material aid — emergency, shelter and cleaning supplies" to
help Oklahoma's community health organizations and schools recover.
You can donate online
here.
You can also give a $10 donation by texting the word AID to 50555.
Checks should be sent to: Operation USA, 7421 Beverly Blvd., PH, Los
Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: 1-800-678-7255.
Convoy of Hope
The Missouri-based
nonprofit organization
has done work in other disasters, including the Haiti earthquake, with a
mission of getting food and water to those after disaster strikes. Now
it's doing the same for Moore, Okla. You can donate online
here. Convoy of Hope is also going the crowd-sourced route, using
HopeMob,
a site similar to Kickstarter but for raising money to help disaster
victims and others in need, which charges no fees to the organizations
that use it. Convoy of Hope's goal on the site is to raise $15,000 in
seven days to help Moore.
"Why 7 days? In these first 7 days the
town of Moore, OK will be consumed with clearing out destruction and
accessing their needs," HopeMob says on its site. "Once those needs are
known we want to be able to give them the funds to help them rebuild
in the long term."
As of Tuesday, nearly $9,500 was raised.
Phone: 1-800-988-0664
Direct Relief
Direct Relief
The Santa Barbara, Calif.-based, non-profit
organization provides medical assistance and personal hygiene items to those hurt in disasters, as well as in other circumstances.
"So
far we have heard from health center partners responding in Oklahoma
and are preparing an emergency shipment to help support the efforts
there. Direct Relief has been receiving requests for emergency
supplies, personal care and protection items — including hygiene
supplies, infection control products, gloves, soap, shampoo, deodorant,
sanitary napkins, diapers, wipes and formula," said Kerri
Murray, Direct Relief vice president, in an email.
To donate, visit
DirectRelief.org.
Phone: 1-800-676-1638
AmeriCares
The Emergency Response team for
AmeriCares
is in Oklahoma, "coordinating deliveries of emergency aid and assessing
the needs of survivors and health care organizations in the disaster
area."
Since 1982, the Connecticut-based nonprofit has delivered
medicine, medical supplies and aid to those in need around the world
and across the United States.
You can donate online
here.
You can also give a $10 donation by texting the word LIVE to 25383.
Checks or money orders can be mailed to: AmeriCares, 88 Hamilton Ave.,
Stamford, CT 06902.
Phone: 1-800-486-HELP (1-800-486-4357)
Operation Blessing International
Humanitarian organization
Operation Blessing International,
which last week coordinated more than 500 volunteers in Granbury,
Texas, after that area was hit by a tornado, is working with The Home
Depot and dispatching a construction unit, mobile command center, trucks
with tools and supplies and a team of construction foremen to Moore.
Late
Monday, Operation Blessing International also "loaded and deployed two
tractor-trailer truckloads of food and emergency relief supplies from
its warehouse in Dallas, Texas, in partnership with the humanitarian
organization, Mercury One," said a Operation Blessing spokeswoman.
The Virginia Beach-based group's online link for donations is
here.
Phone: 1-800-730-2537
Samaritan's Purse
The
international Christian relief organization focuses on cleaning and
repairing damaged homes and sent two disaster relief units from North
Wilkesboro, N.C. to Oklahoma Tuesday. "The tractor-trailers are stocked
with heavy-duty plastic, chainsaws, generators, and other tools and
equipment. The units also will serve as command centers for the
response," Samaritan's Purse says on
its website.
You can donate online
here. You can also give a $10 donation by texting the word SP to 80888.
Phone: 1-800-528-1980
Jewish Federations of North America
The
Jewish Federations of North America is working with the
Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma,
which is coordinating efforts with a local food bank, Habitat for
Humanity and the Red Cross. The Jewish Federations of North America has
established an Oklahoma City Tornado Relief fund. Donors can contribute
online
here.
Checks can also be sent to the JFNA national mailbox at: The Jewish
Federations of North America, Wall Street Station, P.O. Box 148, New
York, NY, 10268. Please indicate "JFNA Oklahoma City Tornado Relief
Fund" on all checks or in the designation box online.
DonorsChoose.orgDonorsChoose.org
is creating a special online fund to collect donations for the teachers
and schools of Moore, Okla., to help respond and rebuild. Donors Choose
will work with the teachers of Moore to assess what they need for their
classrooms and allow them to identify the real-time solutions and
supplies their community and their students need: everything from
clothing for their students to first-aid kits.
To donate, visit
www.donorschoose.org
And a note of caution ...
Emotions
are running high, understandably, in light of the awful news from
Oklahoma. Many of us want to help in some way. But this vulnerable time
is also rife with and ripe for scammers who want to prey on your
emotions and wallet. They may seek you out via email, knock on your
door, or even try to get you to give money via Facebook.
The Federal Trade Commission has
guidelines about charity donations, including these tips:
- Donate to charities you know and trust. Be alert for charities that
seem to have sprung up overnight in connection with current events,
like the tornadoes.
- Ask if a caller is a paid fundraiser, who they work for, and what
percentage of your donation goes to the charity and to the fundraiser.
If you don’t get a clear answer — or if you don’t like the answer you
get — consider donating to a different organization.
- Don’t give out personal or financial information — including your
credit card or bank account number — unless you know the charity is
reputable.
- Never send cash: you can’t be sure the organization will receive your donation, and you won’t have a record for tax purposes.
- Check out the charity with the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, or GuideStar.
- Find out if the charity or fundraiser must be registered in your state by contacting the National Association of State Charity Officials.
