In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, many families and neighborhoods in southeast Texas are facing unprecedented levels of damage. The process of rebuilding Houston, San Antonio, Galveston, Corpus Christi, and other towns along the Texas coast has begun, but this journey will take years as we work to replace damaged infrastructure. There are many relief organizations that are diligently working to aid in recovery efforts in some of the most affected areas, and I have identified several organizations with community-specific ties:
Hurricane Harvey Relief Organizations and Need
| Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund | Financial donations to purchase flood relief donations for families in Houston. All donations are tax- deductible |
|---|---|
| Homeless Period Project Houston | Financial donations towards purchase of female hygiene products for disadvantaged women throughout Houston who have been affected by Harvey can be made to the Amazon Wish list |
| United Way of Greater Houston | Financial donations to help meet storm-related needs and promote donation recovery in the Houston community |
| Houston Area Women’s Center | Donations of Kroger, HEB, Walmart, and Target gift cards as well as full size shampoo, conditioner, soap/body wash, deodorant, toothpaste, and toothbrushes for counseling and housing clients affected by the floods can be sent to 1010 Waugh Drive, Houston, 77019 |
| Hurricane Harvey LGBTQ Disaster Relief Fund | Financial donations to help individuals and families rebuild their lives through counseling, case management, direct assistance with shelf stable food, furniture, housing, and more. The case management team works to help homeless youth, seniors, people living with HIV, hate crime survivors, and others who have been devasted by the storm |
| Support the Girls | Girls and women in the Houston area who are living in temporary shelters are in need of new/gently used bras and female hygiene products. Financial donations towards specific purchases are accepted via the Amazon Wish list and products can also be donated to Support the Girls (c/o Grace Whitley, PO Box 581, Wylie, TX 75098) |
| Texas Diaper Bank Disaster Relief | Financial donations accepted online or physical diaper donations accepted at The Texas Diaper Bank (5415 Bandera Road Suite 504, San Antonio, TX 78238). The greatest need is for larger sizes of diapers (sizes 4-6), pull-ups (sizes 2T-5T), and adult diapers (sizes L, XL) |
| Houston Food Bank Harvey Disaster Relief | Financial donations to provide meals and snacks for families affected by the hurricane |
| San Antonio Humane Society | Financial donations to assist dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens in San Antonio displaced by Harvey and in need of shelter, food, vaccinations, and preventive care |
| Houston Humane Society | Financial donations to assist dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens in Houston displaced by Harvey and in need of shelter, food, vaccinations, and preventive care |
We call upon you in our time of need and please know that any donation made is so deeply appreciated by our communities. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at anjali.raghuram@bcm.edu.
Warmest Regards,
Anjali Raghuram
Program Chair I Baylor College of Medicine AMWA
PS: If a couple of chapters wanted to organize donation drives or fundraisers on behalf of these organizations, I am sure that the aid would be invaluable. I am also receptive to ideas for collaboration among chapters in this relief effort. Please let me know your thoughts.
Warmest Regards,
Anjali
