If you are in Houston, Texas area and are able to help, here are some volunteering opportunities. Please help if you can, but most important is to always be careful and stay safe if you are in Houston, Texas and surrounding areas.

Please be mindful that victims may also be contacting the American Red Cross,  Salvation Army, and other shelters as well. If you do call these organizations, please keep it short so that victims that need help can contact them accordingly.

//City of Sugar Land//
As per the City of Sugar Land’s Facebook Page, “Sugar Land needs volunteers to help with Sugar Land evacuees. It’s the Sugar Land way. Sugar Land steps up to help our neighbors, friends and family. There are two ways you can help immediately. The City is seeking volunteers to assist in set-up and support of Sugar Land evacuees at a local city shelter. Additionally, if your home is outside of an evacuation area and you would be willing to welcome and host fellow residents in your home temporarily, please email HarveyVolunteer@sugarlandtx.gov for more details.”

//American Red Cross//
According to ABC13.com, American Red Cross will give a fast-training to volunteers at their shelters. If you would like to volunteer, please register on their website: Redcross.org/volunteer.

Below are some numbers to American Red Cross in Houston and surrounding areas. Please call to see if you can get more information about what areas are in dire need for volunteers.

American Red Cross of Greater Houston | Houston, TX | (713) 526-8300

American Red Cross of Southeast and Deep East Texas| Beaumont, TX | (409) 832-1644

American Red Cross of Coastal Bend Texas | Corpus Christi, TX | (361) 887-9991

American Red Cross of South Texas | Harlingen, TX | (956) 423-0523

You may be able to volunteer at various American Red Cross Open Shelters. Before you go, you may want to call American Red Cross to confirm whether volunteers are still needed at the locations.  American Red Cross Open Shelters Link and American Red Cross Open Shelters Map.

George R Brown Convention (GRBC) is also an open shelter, and American Red Cross volunteers are working there. Here is GRBC’s website: George R Brown Convention Center. George R Brown’s main phone line is 713-853-8000. If you have questions about the shelter, please call 713-853-8001. Again, please call American Red Cross or George R. Brown before you go.

//Salvation Army//
As per their Facebook page, below are shelters (Harbor Light, Family Residence, Sally’s House) that are currently open for victims. They do have more than 18 locations so you can also check out to see if other locations are in need of volunteers at this website: Salvationarmyhouston.org/locations/

1. Harbor Light Center & Red Shield Lodge – 2407 North Main, Houston, TX 77009 – (713) 224-2875

Just saw this on their Facebook page: “URGENT NEED: Volunteers needed to serve food at our Harbor Light Men’s Shelter on the Near Northside. We’re currently feeding over 130 people, both residents of Harbor Light shelter and members of the community who have evacuated their homes. Please only come if you can travel to the Harbor Light Center safely. Thank you to the volunteers below who have donated their time to Family Residence in Midtown.”

2. Family Residence – 1603 McGowen, Houston, TX 77004 – (713) 650-6530

3. Sally’s House – 1717 Congress, Houston, TX 77002 – (713) 223-8889

Interested volunteers can try to see if more info can be given by calling the main number 713-752-0677 or send an email to tsa.houston@uss.salvationarmy.org for more information.

//Austin Pets Alive!//
Although the organization’s name has Austin in it, this non-profit has done a tremendous job in evacuating animals from Houston so that Houston shelters can have space for more animals or pets found during more evacuations. As per their Website, this non-profits pets rescue organization is looking for long-term and short-term volunteers – “you can sign up as a regular, long term volunteer or short-term emergency, short term volunteer. Short term volunteers must be 18+ years of age and will not be able to handle animals. Please do not come to the shelter without already being a registered volunteer, as we will not be able to accept your help. “

They are also looking for fosters able to keep the animal through adoption. Check out their website for more information: Austinpetsalive.org/hurricane-harvey-evacuations/

On their Facebook, they mentioned they need weekday, day time volunteers in the coming weeks.  Temporary volunteers should fill out the application form: Volunteer Agreement for Temporary Emergency Response Volunteers (need to register on MyVolunteerPage.com)

Check out their Facebook Page: Facebook.com/austinpetsalive/

//Golden Retriever Acres Senior Sanctuary GRASS – Where Grey is Golden//
This non-profit organization provides a shelter for senior golden retrievers until adoption or when they cross the rainbow bridge. Their facility was heavily impacted by Hurricane Harvey and needs to be rebuild. I have followed their Facebook page over they years, and this organization genuinely cares for each and every dog they take in.

As per their Facebook page: “VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!  9:30am-6pm every day. If you have free time and want to help out with cleaning, call GRASS leader Josh at 832-764-2694 – BRING TOOLS!! If you have tools, gloves, anything that might be useful, bring them with you! GRASS needs a POWER WASHER and GASOLINE – if any big-hearted volunteer has these, we really could use them today! If some kind souls want to help prepare food for any volunteers that may show up today, please message the page!! For now, volunteers will need to please bring water/food for themselves. The property address is 29418 West Hawthorne Drive, Spring, Texas 77386. If you have additional questions, message the page.”

//Fort Bend County Shelters //
The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page has a list of updated shelter information as of 11am 9/29/17. Please contact respective shelters to see if volunteers are needed.

//Samaritan’s Purse//
This non-profit organization helps to rebuild houses and buildings in areas after natural disasters. Their current project is in Victoria, TX & Rockport/Portland, TX. There are opportunities for both volunteers who need overnight accommodations  (minimum 3 nights) and those who want to serve for the day. Minimum age is 14 years old with legal guardian. Check out this webpage for more details: Spvolunteernetwork.samaritanspurse.org/hurricane-harvey-reponse/

Interested and qualified volunteers can fill out the form: Spvolunteernetwork.samaritanspurse.org/volunteer/

//Lakewood Church//
As per their webpage, Lakewood Church has partnered with Samaritan’s Purse to provide assistance to the hurricane relief in Houston area. If you would like to volunteer, please register on this page: Volunteer Registration – Lakewood Church & Samaritan’s Purse

//National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster//
Website: Nvoad.org

The websites states “National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (NVOAD) is an association of organizations that mitigate and alleviate the impact of disasters, provides a forum promoting cooperation, communication, coordination and collaboration; and fosters more effective delivery of services to communities affected by disaster.”

At this time, this organization is saying that they are not sending in volunteers, but it is inevitable volunteers will be requested. Interested volunteers can sign up at this form and they will connect volunteers to a local responding organization or register with a national member here.

//Monetary Donations//
A lot of organizations are asking for donations, but please make sure you are making donations to a legitimate non-profit organization. There may be a lot of people trying to make money out of a horrible situation so please be careful and do proper research before donating.

I would suggest to always go to the organization’s main website and double check the entire link of the organization’s website to see that it is the non-profit organization’s name and the ending address. Most nonprofit organization ends their website with .ORG such as http://www.redcross.org/

Samartian’s Purse Donation Webpage

American Red Cross Donation Webpage

I will be updating if I see more opportunities. Please feel free to email me at weekendvolunteering@gmail.com if you know of any other opportunities in Houston and surrounding areas.