Hurricane Harvey has cut a destructive path across the Gulf Coast, and Florida is dealing with the impact of Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded. Teachers and students in both areas will need your helpto rebuild and get back to learning. In the coming weeks, we’ll help teachers create requests for critical needs such as books, supplies, therapy resources, clothing, food, and classroom furniture. To support these teachers, you can donate to our Hurricane recovery funds.
Give to Harvey Recovery Give to Irma Recovery
If you’re a teacher in one of the affected areas, visit our help center to find out how to receive assistance. In past years, you’ve helped support teachers after disasters like the Louisiana Floods, Superstorm Sandy, and tornadoes in Moore, OK and Joplin, MO. After last year’s flooding in Louisiana, we went down to Baton Rouge and Lafayette to talk with teachers and get a sense of how they put your donations to work rebuilding their classrooms. You can hear first-hand from the teachers in this video, and we’ve pulled out some key quotes below to highlight just how big of an impact your donations can have.
Obviously the physical items are just a huge benefit, but the emotional support of people caring about you, people caring about your school, people caring that you get back on your feed, is tremendous. – Principal Bryan Wax
It makes a world of difference to know that you have support outside of a community that’s been damaged. – Ms. Belgard
When the kids got here on Monday, they were awestruck – ’I thought the school flooded! They said it got a lot of water! This looks better than before the flood!’ – Ms. Creel
What roles do teachers play after a crisis?
During every disaster recovery effort we’ve worked on, teachers have told us how important it is for them to be able to give students a safe and welcoming space at school. For students who’ve lost everything, that sense of normalcy is essential.In the video below, our team shares more about what we’ve heard from teachers about what they go through after a disaster.
What kind of support do teachers need?
One more lesson we’ve learned from past disasters: giving money is the best way to help teachers get exactly what they need. In Moore, OK, well-meaning people sent hundreds more backpacks than the students could have ever used, which becomes a huge challenge for districts as they try to store all of these excess materials. Take a look at this infographic we created for a more detailed explanation of why it’s important to listen to teachers after a disaster, and help them get the resources they need most.
To help teachers now, visit our Hurricane Harvey or Hurricane Irma recovery funds to make your donation. And if you want to stay up-to-date on the recovery effort, we’ll share updates from teachers on our Facebook and Twitter. Most of all, to everyone in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, stay safe, and know that the DonorsChoose.org community is ready to help you and your students get back on your feet.
