WEST LAFAYETTE — People wanting to help others who lost their homes and possessions from tornadoes should understand how they can be most effective before jumping in, a Purdue University disaster education specialist says.
Steve Cain, Purdue Extension Disaster Education Network homeland security project director, said people can help in three ways:
* Assist neighbors.
* Get involved with organizations that are responding.
* Donate cash that would go directly to meet specific needs of storm survivors.
“Cash is best,” Cain said. “It is better to donate cash instead of goods – unless you specifically know someone who can use a specific item – because local responders can more readily convert that into what's needed.”
People wanting to help can donate cash by working with their favorite charity, said Cain, who also is president of the disaster-aid relief group West Central Indiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), of which Purdue Extension is a member.
He suggested that those who are not familiar with organizations that actively work in disasters should visit http://www.nvoad.org/donate. Donations will go toward specific needs in affected areas.
