I’ve been powering through my Summer of Basics posts the past few days, due to the timing, but I confess it’s felt awkward to be talking about my shiny new clothes while monitoring the news about Hurricane Harvey. My whole Templer family is in Houston, and thankfully they are all safe and have miraculously suffered no damage. But as we all know, tens of thousands of people in Houston and the Gulf region have lost their homes and their possessions, and are currently displaced — so many with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
And of course, we all want to help, however we can. My friends over at Mason-Dixon Knitting have rounded up some knitting-community fundraisers going on at the moment. I know here in Nashville there are countless individuals and small businesses and organizations taking donations of diapers and toiletries, and driving them to Houston. The most immediate way to help is, of course, to make a monetary donation, such as to the Houston Food Bank or the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund that was established by Houston’s mayor. (Or both. I’ve sent money to both, and am raiding Target for toiletries and underwear to contribute to one of the groups driving down on Monday.) The Times is maintaining a list of organizations taking a variety of types of donations (and also includes notes about how to avoid scams). But I keep thinking about all those people who’ve lost their clothes to the flood waters. I especially want to help with that.
There’s a list on Houston’s Emergency Operations Center website that’s being kept up to date with who’s accepting what, where and how. I spoke to the pastor of the Heavenly Hands Church currently listed there, and he said their most urgent needs at the moment — as they work to get people out of shelters and into apartments — is pajamas, toiletries, towels, and everything a person needs for a kitchen. He also said donations can be mailed; they are getting mail service there.
One organization I’m a longtime fan of, and have donated work-appropriate clothes to over the years, is Dress for Success. It seems to me there could be a rising demand for their services there as women try to get resettled. I’ve reached out to the Houston chapter about their needs and circumstances, and will let you know if/what I hear back.
If you have other ideas or suggestions, please share them!
UPDATES:
– I hadn’t heard of this pre-existing organization before, and their amazing mission: Undies for Everyone. (via Milkfed) There will be more school kids than ever needing fresh undies down there.
– Imogene+Willie posted an update about the urgent need for tools and clean-up supplies
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Harvey has made its way to Nashville at this point, and we’ve been under alternating flash-flood and tornado warnings since last night, so we’re hunkering down and slip-sliding into the Labor Day weekend. Wherever you are, I hope you’re safe and dry! See you back here next week—
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