© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Former USAID Official Says Some Harvey Donations Hurt Relief Efforts

Barret Anspach
/
Flickr/Creative Commons
Donations from Hurrican Katrina filled up an entire block.

People hoping to help with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts might actually be doing more harm than good. That’s according Juanita Rilling, former director of USAID's Center for International Disaster Information.

Many people want to donate goods after major natural disasters, but Rilling said that unless relief agencies are asking for specific items, those donations can actually make it harder on those providing the relief.

"Used clothing, canned food, and bottled water are the three big ones,” Rilling said, speaking on WNPR’s Where We Live. “And these donations converge on damaged ports, and airports and parking lots at the same time that needed emergency supplies arrive. And so the lower priority donations have to be moved out of the way so that emergency supplies can be distributed and managed, and moving metric tons of household goods takes heavy equipment and gasoline and time and attention away from the relief effort."

She said that people are often averse to making cash donations because it feels impersonal, but that's the best way to offer help, as long as your money is going to a reputable organization.

"The diversion of these critical resources, is sort of a theft  from helping survivors,” she said. “And that is why even a one dollar cash donation does more good than a truck-full of un-requested material donations, because the latter actually cost money to manage."

The city of Houston recently set up a website called theHurricane Harvey Relief Fund to accept cash donations, and Charity Navigator is an online tool that people can use to see if a charity is legit.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated in the headline that Juanita Rilling was a division head, when she was a director.

David finds and tells stories about education and learning for WNPR radio and its website. He also teaches journalism and media literacy to high school students, and he starts the year with the lesson: “Conflicts of interest: Real or perceived? Both matter.” He thinks he has a sense of humor, and he also finds writing in the third person awkward, but he does it anyway.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content