Full Notification

Fair Lawn Emergency Management advises residents that want to help in the Hurricane Harvey relief efforts to do so with caution and make sure your donations get to the people who need it most. To make the most of your contributions, consider these tips for donating responsibly:

Cash is the most efficient method of donating. Cash offers voluntary agencies the most flexibility in obtaining the most-needed resources and pumps money into the local economy to help businesses recover. Remember, unsolicited donated goods such as used clothing, miscellaneous household items, and mixed or perishable foodstuffs require helping agencies to redirect valuable resources away from providing services to sort, package, transport, warehouse, and distribute items that may not meet the needs of disaster survivors.

Donate through a trusted organization. At the national level, many voluntary, faith and community-based organizations are active in disasters, and are trusted ways to donate to disaster survivors. A financial contribution to a recognized disaster relief organization is the most effective donation to make. When the public supports these voluntary organizations with financial contributions, it helps ensure a steady flow of important services to the people in need after a disaster. The following is a list of Better Business Bureau Accredited Charities that are raising funds for Hurricane Harvey Relief assistance:
American Red Cross
AmeriCares
Church World Service
Direct Relief
GlobalGiving Foundation
Humane Society of the United States
Islamic Relief USA
MAP International
Operation USA
Salvation Army
Save the Children
United Methodist Committee on Relief
United Way of Greater Houston

Donate Goods - Confirm what is needed BEFORE taking action! Donate in-kind goods that are specifically requested or needed by recognized organizations. Unsolicited donated goods such as used clothing, miscellaneous household items, and mixed or perishable foodstuffs require helping agencies to redirect valuable resources away from providing services to sort, package, transport, warehouse, and distribute items that may not meet the needs of disaster survivors. Confirm the needs by contacting the voluntary organization of your choice before starting to collect.

Beware of Hurricane Harvey Relief Scams
· Be wary of brand-new charities and crowd-funding sites, even if legitimate.
· Avoid unsolicited solicitations by phone, email, pop-up messages or someone going door to door.
· Disregard charities or fundraisers that refuse to provide detailed information about their identity, mission, costs or how your donation will be used.