The Nitty-Gritty of Disaster Relief – Where to Give and What’s Being Done

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Recently, two major hurricanes have blown through the Southeastern United States, and the devastation has been overwhelming. Both storms seem likely to cross the $50 billion mark in damage, and they will likely both be on the list of top ten most destructive hurricanes in modern American history. Naturally, Christians and other people of conscience want to help as they can, and the donations have come pouring in. But it’s worth asking the question – What does disaster relief actually look like on the ground? Who does the work; what does the money go to; and where are the best places to give?

Today, we want to shine a brief light on those questions.

Who Does the Work? Where Should I Give?

Most people have heard of the government agency FEMA, and likely they have also heard of high-profile non-profits such as Samaritan’s Purse and the American Red Cross as well. Thankfully, however, there are others, and in such large-scale disasters, many hands are needed.

There are groups in the U.S. called “National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster” or NVOADs. These are the groups that show up with shovels, temporary shelters, rebuild grants, food, supplies, etc. NVOAD.org is a great resource for finding out which groups are actively helping in the aftermath of a given disaster, and this knowledge can help direct your giving.

Immediate relief is important, but it’s worth mentioning that most of the real healing in a community comes through medium and long-term relief efforts. Samaritan’s Purse grabs a lot of the headlines, but they do have a reputation for being the first in (good) and the first out (not great), often leaving with hardly any notice and with open work orders hastily shoved off to other organizations. It’s been said that the organizations that do the most good in these disasters do their work quietly and without a lot of fuss. Among experts, faith-based organizations such as the Southern Baptist Convention, the Global Methodist Group, Mennonite Disaster Service, Christian Aid Ministries, and the United Methodist Corps all have excellent reputations for doing the most good.

As with all charitable giving, if you want to make sure that your money has the best chance to help those in need, always earmark your donation for the specific relief effort you are trying to give to, otherwise, donations can often end up in underutilized general funds.

What Does the Money Go To?

In the wake of a major disaster, reputable organizations spend donations on temporary shelter, supplies, and meals for displaced families. Some organizations will give “immediate needs money” to people who ask for it. Organizations such as the American Red Cross do case management in these scenarios, where people apply for aid, and then the Red Cross sends someone to survey the damage to that person’s property or livelihood, and then they meet their needs as they are able. Long-term, a good organization will give grants to local relief efforts or provide direct money for rebuilding damaged buildings and homes.

According to experts, it is best practice for these aid organizations to buy supplies as close to the disaster as possible, as this helps to get the weakened economy back on its feet. The American Red Cross and the Salvation Army are known for being good about keeping to this rule.

Most organizations are focused on relief efforts, but some Christian ministries are more focused on evangelizing and ministering even as they do offer some assistance to those who have been affected by the disaster.

What Now?

The devastation of these back-to-back storms is truly startling, and it’s important to keep in mind that building back Western North Carolina and parts of Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia is going to take years. We Christians ought to check in from time to time and love our neighbor through the long haul as much as possible.

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