As Hurricane Harvey slammed into Texas and in the days of massive flooding after, North Texans asked how they could help.
In the early days following a natural disaster, monetary donations are best over material goods or volunteering.
NBC 5 and Kroger are teaming up to get help with the relief effort for the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey. Visit your neighborhood Kroger and make a monetary donation to the American Red Cross at Kroger's check-out registers. All of the money will go to the Red Cross Disaster Relief. The American Red Cross is working around the clock to help those in need by providing food, shelter and emotional support for the people whose lives have been disrupted. Visit RedCross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS for more information on the relief efforts.
Safety is a concern, as many areas are not reachable or safe for volunteers, but also there's the matter of logistics -- how to get people in when disaster makes travel hazardous.
But still some are ready to roll up their sleeves to help Texans recover from Harvey.
As of this writing, volunteers are not needed at the "mega shelter" at the Kay Bailey Convention Center, according to the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army. However, volunteers will be needed in coming days, weeks and possibly months.
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If you are interested in volunteering to help with the relief effort, you're asked to sign up on Voly.org.
The group has set up a Mass Care Task Force for Harvey. It's a collaboration between the American Red Cross North Texas Region, The Salvation Army DFW Metroplex Command, the North Texas Food Bank and Volunteer Now. Volunteer Now is one of NBC 5's partner non-profit agencies.
All you have to do is create and account, complete a background check. The background check helps ensure the safety of those needing help after a disaster.
Then you'll view available volunteer opportunities. You'll click "I want to help" on the opportunity that fits and a volunteer coordinator will get in direct contact with you.
Outside of the Dallas-Fort Worth Area, the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster has set up a Harvey Response.
Once again, volunteers are not able to enter the impacted zones yet, but the need for volunteers is inevitable. NVOAD and TXVOAD are asking people to register so that when the time is right you can be connected with a responding organization when it's safe.
MORE: Voly.org/Disaster | Texas Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster | National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster
