Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have wreaked havoc on everything in their wake in Texas, South Carolina, and Georgia over the past two and a half weeks, creating a desperate need for anyone who is able to assist.

On September 20th, the cosmetology club is hosting a fundraiser dedicated to raising money for Houston beauty businesses. With a $20 admission fee, students are offered a variety of services from estheticians, stylists, and manicurists. Included would be mini blowouts, facials, and more.

Relief organizations have had double the work assisting two areas of impact within only two weeks, and a third hurricane on the way. Websites of such organizations are overloaded and operators on phone lines are increasingly difficult to contact. Students on campus may wonder how they would be able to aid the civialians.

“They need help,” Alyssa Sirianni, Skyline’s Cosmetology Club President said. “It’s not right to sit back and let them struggle. It’s a way for us to do what we can.”

The donations received from the event will be going to the Professional Beauty Organization, also known as PBA. The organization will then use the money accumulated to support beauty related businesses within Texas to help them re-establish themselves.

Fortunately, money donations are not the only thing the students are raising. They are also asked to bring necessities such as toothbrushes, blankets, clothing, with an emphasis on the need for feminine products.

“I think they’re passionate about doing what they can with what they’ve got,” Robyn Ledesma, Cosmetology Program assistant said. “They really hope that they can bring together a campus community for the greater good.”

However, one thing to keep in mind when donating to organizations is that donated goods can take resources from more important issues. Thinking twice prior to sending items to disaster areas is suggested. Donated items can take up space in warehouses and can divert from the disaster at hand. Of course supplies are still needed, but too much can sometimes be a problem.

“I can’t tell you how many times I have been in disaster situations where I’ve seen, literally, just warehouses filled with stuff that people give, just sitting there,” Britt Lake, Chief Program Officer of Global Giving said.

Global Giving is a well regarded organization that focuses on collaborating with local organizations at the area of impact and will continue their efforts long after the disaster. According to their website, local organizations help communities directly and more efficiently, although they do direct money to larger entities in the earlier days of a response.

As for other organizations, no one was able to be interviewed in the wake of the disasters even with multiple attempts to a variety of them. This was due to the vast need for resources and people on staff already occupied with relief efforts, according to a phone representative from World Vision.

World Vision differs from other organizations by providing help in the long term along with immediate assistance, according to its website. They assist survivors through relief, recovery, and rebuilding for a month after the disaster.

There are also various organizations that specify in certain areas if there is something specific one would like to donate to. Some examples are Unicef, who places a focus on school age children, The American University of Antigua, who focuses on Barbuda, Best Friends Animal Society, who focuses on animals, and Oxfam America, who is preparing for Hurricane Jose as it works on Irma, according to the New York Times.

Below is a list of relief organizations approved by Charity Navigator.

Hurricane Irma:

Convoy of Hope

Water Mission

Samaritan’s Purse

Hurricane Harvey:

Medical Teams International

Houston Food Bank

Here is a free emotional support helpline for those affected:

866-342-6892