Blogger Andy Carvin has declared today international blogging for disaster relief day. Bloggers in general have been writing about the disaster for several days now, doing everything from posting information about lost people, to offering material aid, to trying to organize technology assistance, to providing ground-zero coverage of the situation, but we applaud the effort to provide some structure to the outpouring of information.
New Orleans native Ellen DeGeneres, whose elderly aunt was directly affected by the storm, has organized a fund drive through Warner Bros., her talk show’s distributor, to raise $1.5 million in disaster relief. She is also apparently talking with various TV networks about a hurricane relief telethon.
Here’s a recap, then, of what you can do to help:
- Give through the Warner Bros. fund organized by Ellen. Warner Bros. is donating $500,000 and will match another $500,000 of people’s donations. This money will go to the American Red Cross.
- Give through the Rainbow World Fund, a GLBT and supportive-heterosexual humanitarian service agency. Donations made through RWF will go to America’s Second Harvest (ASH), the nation’s food bank network. Why give through the Rainbow World Fund, rather than to Second Harvest directly? Simple: to show the world that LGBT people and our straight allies are active, caring members of the world community.
- See if your employer has a matching gift program that will make your donation go further.
- Give blood, if you are medically eligible.
Give your kids an extra hug today.