Katie Zimmerer
CONTRIBUTOR
The flooding that has been occurring in parts of the Midwest has taken a major toll on many people, especially those of us who know someone experiencing the losses of their homes and livelihoods. CNBC reports, “Record flooding in the Midwest and Great Plains caused at least $3 billion in damage to the region, and more than one-third of the tally is from agriculture, according to officials.”
Since many students on the UNO campus have lived in the Midwest most of their lives, they are bound to know someone who has been affected and may have lost their homes, farms or businesses. If you have thought about contributing to flood relief, below are a few ideas on how to participate and help your friends and neighbors to get back to their normal lives. Whatever you do to help, your service can have lasting impact on these individuals who may have lost everything because of flooding.
Donating money to flood relief
It can be fairly easy to simply donate money to a trusted organization that is helping to aid victims in flood relief. United Way of the Midlands and The Nebraska Farm Bureau Disaster Relief Fund are two organizations accepting donations that will help people in Iowa and Nebraska by providing emergency aid to farmers, ranchers and rural communities affected by the floods.
Donating goods and clothing
Due to people having to evacuate their homes at last minute, some of them have limited access to clothing and other daily necessities. Thankfully, there are many places taking donations for these types of goods. UNO, UNMC, and Nebraska Medicine have opened a Flood Relief Donation Management Center, located at 601 South Saddle Creek Road and will be collecting supplies. Find a list of accepted items here.
In addition, you can learn more about efforts to provide to relief to other groups, like the Santee Tribe, here.
Volunteering
Volunteering is an excellent way to have face to face interaction with those affected by flooding. The Red Cross is currently accepting full-day volunteers at various shelters. Volunteers are encouraged to sign up for shifts online and must sign up at least 24 hours before the desired day of volunteering.
Purchasing a flood relief t-shirt
These shirts have been seen a lot lately and are being sold by both big and small retailers. There are many different places to get these shirts but Allure Fashions has these shirts available for online purchasing. They are a Nebraska-based retailer and 100% of profits from sales will be donated to the American Red Cross Capital and Eastern Nebraska Chapter, as well as the Nebraska Cattlemen Disaster Relief Fund.
