How to safely help people affected by Hawaii wildfires
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
There are many opportunities to help those affected by the wildfires raging through Maui, but those looking to give should do their research first.
The Federal Trade Commission reports scammers will often try to make money off of people looking to donate to natural disaster relief.
Executive director of the Central and Northern Missouri Chapter of the American Red Cross, Rebecca Gordon, said her best advice is to donate to a reputable organization, and to avoid unsolicited pop-ups, phone calls or emails.
"I'd worry about things popping up saying 'Hawaii Strong,' 'Love for Hawaii,' those types of things," Gordon said. "You want to make sure that that's a reputable organization that is sending the money to where they said they were going to send it."
The FTC recommends looking for a credible charity to support by using resources such as the Better Business Bureau and Charity Navigator. It also notes to search online for that charity's name and add "review" or "scam" to see if there are any red flags.
According to Charity Navigator, more than 20 highly-rated charities are responding to the wildfires in Hawaii, including the American Red Cross. To make a donation, you can click here, call 1-800-733-2767 or text HAWAII to 90999. Donations can also be made through the ABC 17 News website.
Gordon said money donated to the American Red Cross will be used in a variety of ways.
"Making sure that we have the resources needed to shelter people, feed people--whether they come into a shelter or our teams are going out when it's safe to provide food and meals and water, as well as any sort of cleanup kits or items that the islands might need to start the process of recovery," Gordon said.
Along with finding a trusted organization, the FTC said people should donate by credit card or check and keep a record of all donations.
Lastly, the FTC says to be aware of common scammer tricks. These include rushing people into making a donation, reaching out about a donation that was never made, using names that sound similar to legitimate organizations and not being able to explain how a donation will be used.
Gordon said it's unfortunate people use others' pain to make a buck.
"That money is needed and needs to be utilized," Gordon said. "When people give, they really want to help their neighbors, and it's just really unfortunate that people would use that opportunity to make money."
She said there have been more than 2,700 structures impacted by these wildfires, and the American Red Cross is providing shelter to over 2,000 people on the island.
"My heart is really broken as the situation continues to unfold," Gordon said. "It's the worst, deadliest wildfire in 100 years, and so we're really concerned about the people of Hawaii, specifically Maui, and our volunteers, when they come back, making sure they have the resources to recover, as well."
