After A Disaster: 12 Unexpected Things Victims Need

[Cheryl Nelson]

http://www.divinecaroline.com/33/99164-disaster-twelve-unexpected-things-victims

1. Babysitting Services
After a disaster comes the cleanup, something that Don Lauritzen, of the American Red Cross, reminds us can be hazardous, especially for children or pets. Debris may contain sharp objects or glass, and floodwater is often contaminated. Building structures may also be precarious. Offer to watch children or pets while victims investigate and clean.

2. Cameras
If those affected by a disaster hope to be covered by insurance, it will be essential for them to document the damage to their property. Chances are, their cameras were not the first things they grabbed when they evacuated or rescued belongings, so disposable cameras are a helpful donation.

3. Sunscreen and Insect Repellant
Along with protective clothing, like rubber gloves and rubber boots, volunteer crews need sunscreen and bug spray. Cleanup work is often outside, without the benefit of shade, and wet areas especially can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

4. Cleaning Supplies
None of those volunteers can clean without cleaning supplies. There are never enough garbage bags, and bleach is also essential; in a pinch, if there’s a water shortage, it can be used to treat drinking water (only household liquid bleach, not scented or color-safe).

5. Laundry Services
If clothes have been soiled or soaked by dirty water, they’ll need to be cleaned before they start to mildew. This will be difficult if water and electricity have been disrupted, as often happens after an emergency, or if someone’s washing machine was one of the casualties. Flood victims in Nashville didn’t realize the value of laundry services until the Tide company brought in mobile Laundromat trucks. They were a lifesaver (and a clothes saver).

6. New Underwear
Donated clothes come in by the garbage-bag full. What’s often not included in those bags, however, are clean underwear and socks, clothing that isn’t recycled but is often lost in disasters. A clean pair of underwear can change a person’s day.

7. Feminine Products
As you just witnessed in whatever disaster you experienced, Mother Nature is the boss around here, and her monthly gift for women doesn’t stop coming in the event of emergencies. Buying tampons or maxi-pads is the last thing a woman living in a shelter or salvaging her home needs to think about.

8. Pet Supplies
As many people saw during Hurricane Katrina, pets are affected by natural disasters as well. Pet owners need pet food, litter, medicines, and even free dog-walking services.

9. Space
If there’s enough warning, people in the line of a storm might need space to store things out of harm’s way. After a disaster, they may need an area in which to dry things out and clean them off. Nonprofits also need spaces, such as parking lots or empty warehouses, to set up shelters, relief centers, and donation drop-off points.

10. Communication: Help Get the Word Out
People in the midst or aftermath of a crisis may have no way to find out what’s going on. Volunteer for a crisis hotline that directs callers to the appropriate organizations, or distribute flyers with relevant phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses. The Red Cross’s Web site is a helpful clearinghouse for emergency information. (It also offers tips on disaster preparedness.) Check your local government’s site as well.

11. Transportation
Cars are often lost to natural disasters, and public transportation is sometimes disrupted. Consider offering a carpool service between relief centers, shelters, churches, and the grocery store, or donate bus passes.

12. Personal Comforts
To give luxury items to someone who’s just lost everything may seem frivolous. Who needs a gift certificate to a fancy restaurant when their entire kitchen has just been destroyed? The truth is, a lot of people do. The emotional and psychological toll of a disaster is often just as serious, though less visible, as the material damage. Sometimes small personal comforts can help return a sense of normalcy. Contact a service that offers counseling for disaster victims and see what personal comforts might be appreciated—things like stuffed animals for children or massages for adults.

The main gift you give when lending a hand during a time of crisis is hope. A donation, monetary or otherwise, no matter how big or small, expected or unexpected, lets the victims of a natural disaster know that they are not alone. It’s the small things that build—or rebuild—a community.

Via http://www.divinecaroline.com/33/99164-disaster-twelve-unexpected-things-victims/2#ixzz2AvanlZhA

[Cheryl Nelson]

Yes, they make life easier. 

[Rosemary S]

Really sound advice Cheryl. I never realized how important these items and suggestion were.