Donate to a good cause - All Hands and Hearts - for people in need

Hi There..... Have you ever considered giving to a good cause, to people in need? Have you ever heard about the All Hands and Hearts organization?

Don't you think a little kindness could go a long way even in these trying times? I know many people have suffered financially from this Corona crisis, but I hope you still have some love to give to a good cause, to people in need. The last thing you need right now is someone like me that says there are far worse things. 😘

That is something I really hate myself when I tell them about my illness 'Some people have it worse'. It makes my hair stand up. 😒

Still, it doesn't mean we should be ignorant of people that suffer from natural disasters. Last year I wrote 2 posts about good causes and I have to admit that I was hesitant to do this again this year but as you can see I ignored myself. Why? 😲

Well, even though my mom passed away 2 years ago, she still had her say in this. I can still remember what she often said 'what have you got to lose. You already have a no so go for a yes'. 😄

And maybe this is not the best time for you, but who knows in a few months you may think about my blog when times are getting better. If I do not write this post, you may be lost completely and might have to Google to find a trustworthy good cause. 😫

What if you get a virus on your computer by doing this search or maybe you go completely crazy because you can't find one and you fall from the stairs not having your head in the right place? Oh yes, I am saving you from all those problems just because I am a good soul. 😁

With record numbers of hurricanes hitting the US in 2020, there is an urgent need for a thoughtful approach to disaster relief. The organization All Hands and Hearts arrives early and they stay late to assist with long-term recovery. 

Currently, they are running programs in Texas, Florida, CA, and The Bahamas. All Hands and Hearts has quickly adapted to open a new initiative, a 12-week service commitment to communities impacted by natural disasters with health and safety measures in the time of COVID19. It’s called DM-12. 

96 cents of every dollar donated is spent on their programs, which is one reason they’re rated in the top 9% of U.S. charities evaluated by Charity Navigator, the most trusted charity assessment organization.

I love that I found this Charity Navigator. I used it to choose which charities I wanted to share with you. Imagine that I would tell you about a charity and it would be a hoax. I wouldn't want that to happen to me, so definitely not to my followers either. 😊

They have a lot of programs running, but some of them had to be suspended because of the Corona crisis. I picked out a few to give you a sense of what they are doing.

Florida Hurricane Relief

Disaster Profile

On October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael slammed into Mexico Beach, Florida as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained wind speeds of 160 mph. With record-breaking wind speeds, Michael was both the strongest storm to make landfall in the continental US (since Hurricane Andrew in 1992) and to ever hit the Florida Panhandle. Tracking across the Southeastern United States, winds plunged 1.4 million residents into complete darkness in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, and the Carolinas. Communities across the region were devastated, with full towns in the Panhandle demolished beyond recognition.

Program Work

Thanks to the support of partners, donors, the local community, and volunteers they have committed to carrying out critical home repairs on 40 homes in Jackson County between October 2020 and April 2021. Their first DM12 cohort began work last month and are focusing their efforts on mucking and gutting, mold sanitation, home repairs, and renewal projects.

Program History

Phase I: Panama City, Florida (October 2018 to December 2019)

Assessing the immense and widespread destruction of the storm, their Rapid Response team jumped into action immediately after the storm’s landfall. Identifying a great need in Bay and Calhoun counties, the majority of their work focused just outside Youngstown, Florida. Their initial efforts were chainsawing, debris removal, and residential flood cleanup; they then worked on mucking and gutting homes, as well as performing mold sanitations.

Their Hurricane Michael program officially transitioned to the recovery phase in June 2019 and began with the rebuilding work on affected homes; they worked in tandem with local community partners to effectively support recovery and helped more than 800 people.

Louisiana 2020 Hurricane Relief

Disaster Profile

Louisiana has been hit by four storms this year, the two largest of which have caused significant damage. On August 27th, Hurricane Laura pounded the Louisiana and Texas coasts, making landfall near Cameron, Louisiana as a Category 4 storm with 150 m.p.h. winds. Hurricane Laura tied the Last Island Hurricane (1856) for the strongest land-falling hurricane in Louisiana on record.

Just six weeks later, on October 9th, Hurricane Delta made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane in Creole, Louisiana. It followed a similar path to Hurricane Laura and compounded the damages already left by previous storms, as well as causing a lot more rainfall accumulation, with several places reporting up to 18” within a few hours. Flood emergencies and wind damage were reported across large areas, and many communities got significant damage to their properties.

Their Work

Their team is assisting families impacted by both Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta, and with the support of AmeriCorps NCCC members, has been focusing on response activities to date (chainsawing, roof tarping, debris removal, and mucking and gutting). They committed to staying in Louisiana into 2021 and will be transitioning to recovery activities in December 2020, starting with a resilient roof repair program.

Los Angeles COVID-19 Relief

Crisis Overview

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause a significant impact on the Los Angeles (LA), California county area. To date, there are more than 310,000 confirmed cases, 7,000 deaths in LA County and the threat level remains high — signifying that COVID-19 could overwhelm the community and health care system if not controlled.

Program Work

As they investigated the idea of leveraging their volunteer model to support other NGOs providing COVID-19 assistance to their communities, Los Angeles County was identified as one potential place they could help address critical needs for the community. They learned from NGO partners, with local affiliates in the area, that demands for services were at an all-time high and local volunteer availability was significantly constrained.

Their team has been in Los Angeles, since early July, working with new and existing partners to identify how they can be most effective in supporting the Los Angeles community. Through their current program, they are working to increase the capacity of partner organizations, LA Food Bank, and CORE. With up to 30 volunteers, on a weekly basis, they aim to assemble 35,000 emergency meal kits, distribute 55,000 meals to families in need, and orchestrate 30,000 COVID-19 tests.

I just got a message today (09.12.2020) that there are a few program changes that were just updated yesterday. Currently, All Hands and Hearts is only accepting the DM-12 volunteer applications in The Bahamas, Mexico, and California: The applications are not open in Louisiana and Florida. 

Be sure to visit their website if you want to know more. 😍

https://www.allhandsandhearts.org/

Hope you like my blog post. Until next time. Have a nice day.    

Renata (Seadbeady) 

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