Helping After a Disaster

After a disaster happens, many people want to help with response or recovery efforts. This is deeply admirable, but sometimes donating items that were not requested or arriving at the scene of an emergency to volunteer causes more problems than it solves.

Cash donations are more effective and efficient than donations of items or time. Unless there is a specific request for items or for volunteers, avoid making assumptions about what people need or want after a disaster.

If you need help deciding where to donate, the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) website has a list of major non-profits that provide aid in an emergency.

Only deploy to an emergency site if you work with an established volunteer group. CERT and RECS are Renton's local sources of disaster volunteers. Other trusted groups to volunteer with include NVOAD, the American Red Cross, United Way of King County, and AmeriCorps.

Occasionally the city may call for unaffiliated volunteers through its normal communications channels. In those situations, potential volunteers will need to present valid photo identification and go through a rapid registration process on site to comply with personnel accountability requirements.