DeKalb Emergency Management Agency Offers Tips for Assisting Hurricane Florence Victims

DECATUR, Ga.—The DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency is providing the following tips on how to help victims of Hurricane Florence.

• Do not send or transport unsolicited donations. Pay attention to agencies and volunteer organizations in the affected areas. They will list what their specific needs are. Please donate only the items requested.
• Do not deploy to assist with cleanup until agencies have requested help. There is flooding in several areas, and along the coast damage assessments and basic repairs to infrastructure continue to take place. Due to the unsafe conditions that still remain, wait for an invitation to volunteer.
• The best way to help is to donate monetarily. Some organizations that are taking donations for Florence recovery are the American Red Cross, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Diaper Bank of North Carolina, Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, OneSC Fund, Salvation Army, Team Rubicon, United Way of North Carolina, United Way of South Carolina, and many others. Reach out to local churches and organizations as they may be taking in financial resources for the victims as well. The National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters has information and a full list of items needed. This can be found at www.nvoad.org.
• Be wary of disaster relief and donation scams. Unfortunately, there are some who take advantage of disaster situations and goodwill. Look for signs of donations scams such as refusing to provide detailed identity information, lack of tax deductible contributions, or asking you to send money by mail or wire services.

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