I’ll be back soon with the normal blog fare, but for now, here’s a PSA:
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, here’s something to keep in mind: If you want to help those in need, the best way is to donate money.
CBS’s “Sunday Morning” did a fantastic piece about the mountains of donations that arrive after a disaster. After hurricanes, tornadoes, or even mass shootings, donors send water, clothing, toys, and other goods to needy areas. The issue is: There’s nobody to sort through everything once it arrives, no systems to distribute it, and nowhere to store it.
Which is how you end up with relief workers burning piles of donated clothes on the beaches of Indonesia, or officials in Newton, Conn., trying to figure out what to do with 67,000 donated teddy bears.
Here, just watch the story:
If you want to donate to communities in need after Harvey, NPR has an excellent list of places that could use your help.