Helpful miscellaneous articles regarding
our retirement plan and planning. Like
you, I review my retirement nestegg and plan from time to time. Recently, I went though some continued
education for some credentials I maintain and it occurred to me that we all
could use a review about these issues.
So with your help, we will share and post articles and info that may be
helpful and of interest to many of you in this section.
Hurricane Harvey
(Or upcoming Irma)
9 Ways You Can Give Money, Food or
Supplies to Help Hurricane Harvey Victims
Aug 29, 2017
The situation in Houston and other parts of Southeast
Texas continues to worsen - and the people there need help.
Corporations
and celebrities are chipping in, but the relief
efforts really depend more on individual donations and acts of charity. As much
of the nation watches the disaster unfold from the comfort of its living room,
there are a multitude of ways you can lend aid to victims of the storm, even if
you're in the midst of a financial crunch yourself.
Here are a few of the ways you can help:
Red Cross - The relief organization has put the call out for cash
donations and is launching blood drives. If you'd prefer to give cash, you
can do so online, calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or, if you
text "HARVEY" to 90999, you can make a $10 doantion.
City of Houston Relief Fund - After getting an influx of calls from people asking how they
can help, Houston's mayor Sylvester Turner established a relief fund accepting
tax deductible donations. You can donate online with a credit card or send checks or
wire money. Find additional details on the Relief Fund's Website.
GlobalGiving - The crowdfunding site has launched a campaign to assist victims of the storm,
providing supplies including food, water and medicine.
The Salvation Army - The nonprofit has launched a drive to help Harvey relief efforts.
Suggested gift amounts start at $25, but the organization will take any amount.
Samaritan's Purse - Five tractor-trailer disaster relief units are queued up to
head to Texas to help as soon as conditions allow - two for Houston and others
for Victoria, Rockport/Portland and Galveston/Santa Fe. You can help out by donating, in case others are needed.
Save the Children - With a focus on the most vulnerable, this charity is looking
to provide cribs and shelter to displaced children, along with other items to
help care for them. Donate to their relief efforts here.
Heart to Heart - While this group will welcome any donations, it's also looking for volunteers to help lend aid to flood victims.
Feeding Texas - Want to donate food instead of cash? Feeding Texas is
looking for ready-to-eat staples like pop-top meat/fish, powdered
milk, cereal, canned fruit, fruit cups, peanut butter and jelly as well as
cleaning supplies.
United Airlines - The carrier is offering
up to 1,000 bonus miles to MileagePlus members who donate to
relief efforts on its fundraising page - and matching the first $100,000.
Donate $50-$99 and you'll earn 250 bonus miles; $100-$249 will get you 500
bonus miles.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Charities brace for threat from Irma.
How you can help
·
Charities are still taking donations
for Harvey victims even as Hurricane Irma churns toward Florida.
·
Nonprofits ask for cash donations
instead of household goods, which can interfere with relief efforts.
·
Beware of scams: Check to make sure
any solicitations for donations are backed by legitimate organizations.
Published 12:57 PM ET Wed, 6 Sept
2017 | Updated 2:06 PM ET Wed, 6 Sept 2017 CNBC.com
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If Hurricane Irma does
what weather forecasters expect, help for hurricane victims is about to become
even more urgent.
Irma, a Category 5
hurricane with sustained wind of 185 mph, is forecast to continue on its path
of destruction across the Caribbean toward Florida, making U.S. landfall early
Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
In southeast Texas,
meanwhile, victims of Harvey are just starting the process of sorting through
the devastation. In some places the storm dumped 50 inches of rain, leaving
catastrophic flooding in its wake.
The most effective way
to assist storm victims is through cash donations — not blankets or other goods
— to organizations that have deployed volunteers to assist victims in the areas
affected (or plan to, in the case of Irma).
"We know
Americans are generous and want to do everything they can to help after a
disaster. Unfortunately, collecting and sending food, clothing and other
household items often does more harm than good," said American Red Cross
spokeswoman Greta Gustafson. "Instead, the best way to support disaster
victims is with a financial donation."
Basically, you don't
want to clog up the supply line.
Getty Images
People put up shutters as they prepare the
Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre for Hurricane Irma on September 6,
2017 in Miami, Florida.
Before you donate,
however, make sure the outfit seeking your money is legit. It's not uncommon
for scam artists to emerge after disasters to prey on the charitably inclined.
Spam emails or social media posts seeking donations for Harvey victims might
look believable, but it's best to check out the group if you're unfamiliar with
it.
You can do that at
sites such as CharityNavigator.org or GuideStar. Charity Navigator also has a list of more
than 40 groups that pass muster and are offering direct relief to communities
devastated by Harvey's flooding.
And while taxes might
not be at the forefront of your mind right now, remember that charitable donations
to qualified nonprofit groups generally are tax-deductible if you itemize your
return instead of taking the standard deduction, so keep your receipts.
"Unfortunately, collecting and sending
food, clothing and other household items often does more harm than good.
" -Greta Gustafson, American Red Cross spokeswoman
Well-known groups
taking donations specifically for Harvey victims include the American
Red Cross, the Salvation
Army and Catholic
Charities.
Crowdfunding sites
also still have campaigns going on for Harvey victims, including GlobalGiving.org, which is hoping to raise $5 million
exclusively for emergency disaster relief and long-term recovery efforts. GoFundMe.com and YouCaring.com also have areas on their websites dedicated
to fundraising efforts for people affected by Harvey.
Also, as Irma
progresses, donors should check back to see how charities are responding.
Typically, there will be separate fundraising campaigns for people to donate to
each hurricane. If you donate by personal check, make sure to note in the memo
line which hurricane donation the money was sent to for your records.
~~~~~~~~~
(As
with any of these informative articles, anyone who needs someone to talk to
about
this very subject contact
me and I can direct you to a
knowledgeable advisor).~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Full post disclaimer in left column. PCN Home Page is located at: http://pcn.homestead.com/home01.html
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