Following the landfall of Hurricane Milton, many in the Tri-State will want to help storm victims in Florida as clean-up gets started.
The Central and Southern Ohio region Red Cross already has about 80 local volunteers in Florida, with more help on the way. Communications Director Don Hawkins said there are three ways to help through the Red Cross.
“The first is if you can volunteer,” Hawkins said. “Someone locally will reach out to you and work on seeing your availability, your physical capabilities and making sure that you can handle what you have to do on a deployment down to the impacted area.”
You can also make a financial donation through the Red Cross. Hawkins said they also need blood donations.
“By donating blood in Ohio, you're helping keep our national supplies strong, so we can make sure that the folks locally are getting what they need, and the folks in the impacted areas are getting what they need,” Hawkins said.
Be aware of criminals trying to steal your money following the storm.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) said you should think twice before donating to GoFundMe pages you see on social media.
“If you don’t know that person personally with that GoFundMe account, I wouldn't really be donating to them because once that money is gone, it’s gone," said Sandra Guile with the BBB.
GoFundMe has linked fundraisers on its website that have been verified by their trust and safety experts.
Scammers may also want to take advantage of your generosity and pose as reputable charities. Always double-check the URL they provide to ensure it is the real organization and not a copycat.
“If you're giving to the Red Cross, you will give through an online portal accessible from redcross.org,” Hawkins said. “We are not going to call you and ask you to give us money, especially over the phone.”
The Red Cross said they will send you a text about making an appointment to give blood, but they will not call, text, or email you asking for money.
"Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps").
Follow John:
- Facebook:John Matarese Money
- Instagram: @johnmataresemoney
- X/Twitter: @JohnMatarese
Follow Taylor:
- Facebook: Taylor Nimmo
- Instagram:@tnimms
- X/Twitter: @tnimms
For more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com.
