Nurses helping nurses affected by Hurricane Harvey
Our thoughts are with the people affected by Hurricane Harvey. We especially recognize the dedication and efforts of the registered nurses providing care in the disaster zone under catastrophic circumstances.
Here is how we can help:
The Texas Nurses Foundation is taking contributions to help the nurses affected by Hurricane Harvey. All money collected will be distributed directly to nurses living in any one of the Texas counties declared disaster areas.
The amount of money distributed to each nurse requesting assistance will be determined by the amount of money collected beginning August 29, 2017 and ending November 30, 2017.
Any funds remaining in the fund by March 31, 2018 will be donated to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund established by the city of Houston.
Volunteering to help with Hurricane Harvey disaster relief
During any sort of disaster, the most important thing to do is make sure that you are part of an organized response system. A sudden influx of unexpected, well-meaning individuals can cause more chaos than good. Unfortunately, almost 10% of people who show up for natural disasters are fraudulently claiming to be licensed nurses.
Nurses who wish to volunteer in Texas for Hurricane Harvey relief can register through the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Texas Disaster Volunteer Registry. The registry has set up a “2017 Hurricane Harvey” option under the “organization” category.
The Texas State Board of Nursing is not soliciting volunteers directly, but they are granting expedited temporary licenses for nurses from state’s that are not part of the Nurse Licensure Compact. Washington state is not part of the Compact, so nurse volunteers from our state will need a temporary license. (See map of current Compact states.)
The American Red Cross is seeking health and mental health professionals to volunteer.
If you are unable to physically be in Houston you can still help!
- Donate to the Red Cross online or text HARVEY to 90999.
- Donate to the Salvation Army online.
- Donate to Catholic Charities online or text CCUSADISASTER to 71777 to donate.
- Let everyone know that Airbnb is waiving all service fees for people affected by the hurricane.