How To Help Victims Of Hurricane Irma
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Recovering from Hurricane Irma will take a village and a good number of volunteers.
The hurricane devastated the state especially the Florida Keys - which got some of the worst parts of the storm on Sunday.
If you're looking at the coverage, you may feel compelled to help others affected. Here's where this information comes in. You help by donating your time, money or items.
Donating Time
Volunteer Florida and the Department of Management Services are looking for state employee volunteers to help take food to affected areas in southwest and northeast Florida starting Friday.
The DMS is working with rental car companies to get cargo vans and box trucks to take the food over.
The American Red Cross is in need of volunteers to help with shelters, load and unload trucks, serve food, provide comfort and set up facilities. Click here to apply.
If you would like to volunteer at a shelter in the future, you have to complete shelter operations training with the Red Cross. You must first fill out the application by clicking here.
To volunteer for other Irma relief efforts, you can also register here.
The Community Emergency Operations Centers across Florida are seeking volunteers to assist with recovery efforts. Click here for more info.
United Way of Miami-Dade is the official volunteer arm of Miami-Dade County's Office of Emergency Management. You can register to be contacted if they need volunteers here.
Donating Money
Neighbors 4 Neighbors is accepting cash donations to help victims of Hurricane Irma. Any amount will be accepted. Click here to donate.
Additionally people can volunteer at www.helpingfeelsgood.org. Local opportunities will be posted daily.
You can also make a monetary donation to the Florida Disaster Fund which was established to help Florida communities respond and recover during times of disaster. One hundred percent of the proceeds go toward disaster-related relief. Donations are tax deductible. Click here to donate or text the word DISASTER to 20222 to make a onetime donation of $10.
The Miami Foundation has launched the Miami Foundation Hurricane Relief Fund to collect donations to go toward local recovery efforts. You can give here.
The Hurricane Irma Community Recovery Fund supports grassroots Florida organizations which are helping the most vulnerable communities recover.
Donate here.
Now to those victims who do not have a voice - dogs and cats housed at shelters by the Humane Society of Greater Miami. They suffered more than $500,000 in damages from the hurricane. This includes loss of power, air conditioning, roof leaks and property damage which has forced them to even move some of their sheltered pets into cramped and unbareably hot areas.
They're asking for a monetary donation to help give the dogs and cats a comfortable place to live while they wait for a loving human to take them to their fur-ever home.
To make a donation visit www.humanesocietymiami.org or deliver to the Humane Society of Greater Miami's Soffer and Fine Adoption Center located at 16101 West Dixie Highway, North Miami Beach, FL 33160.
Donating Items
The Salvation Army and United Way of Broward County are collecting donations for those impacted by Irma. They are asking for hygiene products, diapers, water, feminine hygiene products, non-perishable food, cleaning products, towels, blankets and gift cards.
Please contact Jenelle Aragon, United Way of Broward County at 954-308-9262 or 786-514-1734 or jaragon@unitedwaybroward.org for directions on where and when you can drop off the items.
South Florida Ford, BB&T Center and Panthers IceDen are collecting unused recovery supplies such as bottled water, gas, batteries, canned food, flashlights and more. Supplies will be accepted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at both BB&T Center and Panthers IceDen from Friday to Sunday. Click here for a full list of supplies they are collecting.
Cervera Realty is collecting items that will be donated to shelters across Miami. They are asking for water, non-perishable food, First-Aid Kits, diapers, toys, batteries, toiletries, blankets, pillows and clothes.
You can drop off items at 1450 S. Miami Ave. or at 50 Biscayne Boulevard from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until September 22nd.
