Harvey has hit Texas and America hard. I do find myself tuning in to CNN to check up on the city of Houston and the rest of the Lone Star State and wondering like the rest of us when will it get better. But apparently it will be getting worse before anything else. I've had friends share their donations on Facebook and have seen the numbers pop up on the television while watching America's Got Talent tonight to text to send money.
Have you given yet? Will you give? Would you be more willing to give if you knew it was to help out the elderly? the stranded animals? the single parents? What if your money could go to help out fellow LGBTQ citizens?
Over at https://my.reason2race.com/DNicol/HurricaneHarveyLGBTQDisasterReliefFund2017, someone has established the following relief fund.
The catastrophic and historic impact of Hurricane Harvey will be felt by the LGBTQ community of Houston Texas for days, months, and potentially years to come. Help our LGBTQ community members displaced by the storm today by giving to the LGBTQ Disaster Relief Fund, managed by the Montrose Center – Houston’s LGBTQ counseling and community center serving Houston for 39 years.
With more than 35,000 clients in core programs we are already learning of staff and community members who have lost everything.
The LGBTQ Disaster Relief Fund will be used to help individuals and families begin to rebuild their lives through counseling, case management, direct assistance with shelf stable food, furniture, housing and more. The Center’s dedicated case management team is on call to help homeless youth, seniors, people living with HIV, hate crime survivors, and those devastated by the storm.
For volunteer opportunities please visit: http://www.montrosecenter.org/hub/volunteer-2-2/
While the Montrose Center will focus primarily on empowering the LGBTQ community to rebuild after the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey, we serve all people in need regardless of their sexuality.
Are you more apt to donate money now? Or do you wish to give your money to a larger fund to help as many people as possible?
As I typed this up tonight, I received an email from another respectable group asking for assistance for Houston. MoveOn.org writes:
Dear MoveOn member,
Hurricane Harvey is shaping up to be "one of the worst flooding disasters in U.S. history."1
Huge swaths of the fourth-biggest city in the U.S. and surrounding counties are already underwater. Untold numbers of people are currently trapped in their homes. Hundreds of thousands are without electricity. Authorities can't even get around to fully assess the damage—much less to help everyone who needs aid.2
And more—much more—rain is still coming. More than two additional feet of water are expected by the end of the week. The National Weather Service tweeted that the event will be "unprecedented & all impacts are unknown & beyond anything experienced."3
This is an epic disaster for the people of Houston and other Gulf Coast communities. They desperately need help—both right now and after the waters recede and the news cameras leave.
Will you chip in to help the people of Houston? MoveOn will cover the credit card fees, so that 100% of your tax-deductible donation will go directly to local organizations helping people in dire need.
Yes, I'll chip in to help provide emergency relief to the people of Houston.
Whatever your reason to give, I am sure all the people of Houston thank you.
The Montrose Center
Established in 1978 as a safe and affirming place for lesbian and gay Houstonians to receive counseling, the Montrose Center has emerged as one of the nation’s leading full-service LGBTQ centers. Although counseling remains at the heart of what we do, services have expanded to meet the changing needs of our diverse community. These services include substance abuse treatment, support and advocacy for LGBTQ survivors of violent crimes, care and assistance for people with HIV/AIDS, free community wellness programs and activities, and programs for our community’s most vulnerable and isolated—youth and seniors. We sit at the center of the LGBTQ community and serve as a gathering place for LGBTQ organizations and groups.