Updated October 22, 2018
The state’s lead agency on Hurricane Michael relief efforts, Volunteer Florida will use its established resources to help those affected by the storm. Donate or register to volunteer on its website.
The state’s network of food banks ensures enough food is provided to areas affected by the hurricane.
This Virginia-based organization has been serving 18,000 meals a day to first responders and people impacted by the storm in Panama City.
Currently set up in Tallahassee and Panama City, this organization provides meals to those in need. Donate or register to volunteer on its website.
Arriving days before the storm hit, the Washington, D.C.–based chef and philanthropist José Andrés and his team have served more than 60,000 meals in Bay County, Florida. Donations are needed for ingredients, fuel, and other essentials to keep feeding evacuees and first responders.
Faith-Based Organizations
Various groups are helping disaster relief efforts, including these based in the South: United Methodist Committee on Relief, Samaritan’s Purse, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, Episcopal Relief and Development, Convoy of Hope, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and the Catholic Charities Diocese of St. Petersburg.
This Jacksonville-based nonprofit partners with Delta Airlines and Paws Humane Society in Columbus, Georgia, to evacuate dogs and cats from areas devastated by Michael to shelters around the country.
Founded after Hurricane Katrina and headquartered in New Orleans, this nonprofit is dedicated to rebuilding homes in the wake of storms and is currently on the ground in the Florida Panhandle.
Blood Donations
Some blood banks in the storm’s path are unable to take donations, so other blood banks are stepping in, urging people to donate blood so local hospitals have enough in the wake of the disaster. Life South serves more than one hundred hospitals in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. SunCoast blood bank in Sarasota is also sending blood to hospitals in affected areas.
The organization, which is in all fifty states and has received top ratings from Charity Navigator, is working with healthcare providers to get medicines and supplies to people in need.
Other Large-Scale National Organizations
One of the most helpful ways to provide aid is to give monetarily to organizations such as American Red Cross, United Way of Northwest Florida, and the Salvation Army.
To learn more about a charity before donating, consult Charity Navigator.
We’ll continue to update this list, and if you know of an organization that should be included, please email us at editorial@gardenandgun.com.
