{ "schemaVersion": "1.0", "canonicalUrl": "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/", "title": "How to Help After a Disaster | AVERT Field Guide", "description": "Give effectively, coordinate requested supplies and arrange a volunteer assignment before traveling. A sourced guide to helping after a disaster.", "updated": "2026-10-15", "language": "en-US", "publisher": "https://avertusa.org/#org", "wordCount": 1134, "headings": [ { "level": 1, "text": "How to help after a disaster without getting in the way.", "id": "page-title", "url": "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#page-title" }, { "level": 2, "text": "Why the wrong help causes problems", "id": "why", "url": "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#why" }, { "level": 2, "text": "Is it better to give money or supplies?", "id": "money-or-supplies", "url": "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#money-or-supplies" }, { "level": 2, "text": "Can I just drive down and help?", "id": "go-or-stay", "url": "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#go-or-stay" }, { "level": 2, "text": "How do I get ready to help with the next disaster?", "id": "get-ready", "url": "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#get-ready" }, { "level": 2, "text": "How do I check that a relief group is real?", "id": "check-a-charity", "url": "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#check-a-charity" }, { "level": 2, "text": "How AVERT does it", "id": "how-avert-works", "url": "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#how-avert-works" }, { "level": 2, "text": "Sources", "id": "section-sources", "url": "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#section-sources" }, { "level": 2, "text": "The short version", "id": "creed-title", "url": "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#creed-title" } ], "bodyText": "A field guide\n\nHow to help after a disaster without getting in the way.\n\nWhat the people who run disaster relief ask of everyone who wants to help, and what AVERT learned the hard way. Published October 15, 2026.\n\nOn this page\n\nWhy the wrong help causes problems\n\nMoney or supplies?\n\nCan I just drive down and help?\n\nHow to be ready for the next one\n\nHow to check a relief group\n\nHow AVERT does it\n\nSources\n\nThe short answer. Give money to a relief group you trust. Send goods only when a group on the ground has asked for them. Do not travel to a disaster area unless an established organization has asked you to come. And if you want to be useful next time, get trained before the next disaster. [1] [2] [4]\n\nWhy the wrong help causes problems\n\nAfter a disaster, goodwill pours in faster than anyone can sort it. FEMA puts it plainly: “Sending the wrong items or too many can overwhelm communities already facing challenges.” [1] National VOAD, the national network of disaster relief groups, explains why: clothing, household items and mixed or perishable food make helping agencies pull volunteers off direct help “to sort, package, transport, warehouse, and distribute items that may not meet the needs of disaster survivors.” [2] Some state emergency agencies call unsolicited donations “the second disaster.” [8]\n\nAVERT has seen it firsthand. After Hurricane Maria, Michael Brewer told WUSA9, “We saw a lot of supplies sitting at the airport that didn’t go anywhere. They ended up throwing away relief aid when there’s families that really could have used that.” [11]\n\nAVERT’s charter has a name for this: benevolent discord. It is what happens when spontaneous goodwill produces “duplication, competition, logistical congestion, resource consumption, conflicting priorities, and inefficient distribution of assistance.” Nobody means harm. The help just arrives in the wrong shape, in the wrong place or all at once. [12]\n\nIs it better to give money or supplies?\n\nMoney, in almost every case. FEMA says “giving money to trusted disaster relief organizations is usually the fastest and most effective way to help,” and National VOAD says it in capitals: “CASH IS BEST.” [1] [2] Cash lets the people on the ground buy exactly what is short, close to where it is needed.\n\nSupplies still matter when someone has asked for them. FEMA’s advice is to confirm the need first, because “needs can change quickly, so always check with local sources before donating.” [1] That is why AVERT asks people to pledge supplies rather than ship them: a volunteer matches the pledge to a real request before anything moves. The charter commits AVERT to it: the team “shall not knowingly solicit goods, funds, or services for which no legitimate requirement exists.” [12]\n\nCan I just drive down and help?\n\nPlease don’t, unless an organization working there has asked you to come. FEMA: “Don’t go to disaster areas on your own. While you may want to help, showing up without coordinating with a trusted organization can make things harder for responders and put you at risk.” [1] National VOAD: “Until a need has been identified and the local community impacted has requested support, volunteers should not enter.” [3]\n\nEmergency managers call people who show up this way unaffiliated or spontaneous volunteers. FEMA’s training for emergency managers notes that without established relationships, “verifying their training or credentials and matching them with the appropriate service areas can be difficult.” [7] The fix is simple: join an organization before you go. AVERT’s own rule is the same, and its charter discourages “self deployment into AVERT operations without coordination.” [12]\n\nHow do I get ready to help with the next disaster?\n\nGet trained now, while it is quiet. Ready.gov points people to Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) programs, which teach “basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.” [4] FEMA describes CERT as a nationwide approach to volunteer training “that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations.” [5] The American Red Cross offers free disaster training to its volunteers. [6]\n\nThen pick a group and get to know it before you are needed. AVERT’s charter calls this response that “begins with trusted relationships rather than introductions.” [12] If you want that group to be AVERT, the relaunch roles are open now, including space for regional distribution centers near, but not inside, disaster country.\n\nHow do I check that a relief group is real?\n\nDisasters bring out scammers along with helpers. The Federal Trade Commission suggests a few checks before you give: “Most states require charities and their fundraisers to register with the state regulator,” so look the group up; search for it in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool; and “don’t rush.” [9] Pay by credit card or check, and “don’t donate to anyone who says you can only pay by cash, gift card, wiring money, or cryptocurrency.” [9] [10]\n\nAsk any group, ours included, who runs it, what it has done and where the money goes. AVERT publishes its letters, honors and news coverage and its charter so you can check its record before you give.\n\nHow AVERT does it\n\nEverything above is written into how AVERT works. In the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian, the team closed every day with the same wrap up, in Michael Brewer’s words: “What are you short? What do you need?” Then volunteers went to the supply locations, found who had what, loaded the truck and drove it there. [11]\n\nThe charter boils it down to a few rules: requirements before resources, connection before acquisition, integration before duplication, and handoff is success. [12] Read the charter, see the field record or send help.\n\nSources\n\nFEMA, Volunteer and Donate, last updated April 20, 2026.\n\nNational VOAD, Donate, accessed October 15, 2026.\n\nNational VOAD, Volunteer, accessed October 15, 2026.\n\nReady.gov, Get Involved, last updated May 27, 2026.\n\nFEMA, Community Emergency Response Team, last updated April 22, 2026.\n\nAmerican Red Cross, Disaster Training, accessed October 15, 2026.\n\nFEMA Emergency Management Institute, IS 0703.b NIMS Resource Management, accessed October 15, 2026.\n\nGeorgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, Donations and Volunteers, accessed October 15, 2026.\n\nFederal Trade Commission, Before Giving to a Charity, September 2025.\n\nFederal Trade Commission, When donating, support those in need, not a scammer, August 27, 2026.\n\nWUSA9, Virginia veteran works to make sure all donations reach those in need in Bahamas, unlike in Puerto Rico, October 4, 2019.\n\nAVERT, Charter and Statement of Purpose, published October 15, 2026.\n\nQuotes are copied from each source as it read on October 15, 2026. If a source has changed, the source wins. Tell us through the contact form and we will fix this page.\n\nThe short version\n\nAsk first. Give money. Join before you go.", "markdown": "A field guide\n\n# How to help after a disaster without getting in the way.\n\nWhat the people who run disaster relief ask of everyone who wants to help, and what AVERT learned the hard way. Published October 15, 2026.\n\nOn this page\n\n- [Why the wrong help causes problems](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#why)\n\n- [Money or supplies?](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#money-or-supplies)\n\n- [Can I just drive down and help?](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#go-or-stay)\n\n- [How to be ready for the next one](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#get-ready)\n\n- [How to check a relief group](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#check-a-charity)\n\n- [How AVERT does it](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#how-avert-works)\n\n- [Sources](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#sources)\n\nThe short answer. Give money to a relief group you trust. Send goods only when a group on the ground has asked for them. Do not travel to a disaster area unless an established organization has asked you to come. And if you want to be useful next time, get trained before the next disaster. [[1]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-1) [[2]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-2) [[4]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-4)\n\n## Why the wrong help causes problems\n\nAfter a disaster, goodwill pours in faster than anyone can sort it. FEMA puts it plainly: “Sending the wrong items or too many can overwhelm communities already facing challenges.” [[1]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-1) National VOAD, the national network of disaster relief groups, explains why: clothing, household items and mixed or perishable food make helping agencies pull volunteers off direct help “to sort, package, transport, warehouse, and distribute items that may not meet the needs of disaster survivors.” [[2]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-2) Some state emergency agencies call unsolicited donations “the second disaster.” [[8]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-8)\n\nAVERT has seen it firsthand. After Hurricane Maria, Michael Brewer told WUSA9, “We saw a lot of supplies sitting at the airport that didn’t go anywhere. They ended up throwing away relief aid when there’s families that really could have used that.” [[11]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-11)\n\nAVERT’s charter has a name for this: benevolent discord. It is what happens when spontaneous goodwill produces “duplication, competition, logistical congestion, resource consumption, conflicting priorities, and inefficient distribution of assistance.” Nobody means harm. The help just arrives in the wrong shape, in the wrong place or all at once. [[12]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-12)\n\n## Is it better to give money or supplies?\n\nMoney, in almost every case. FEMA says “giving money to trusted disaster relief organizations is usually the fastest and most effective way to help,” and National VOAD says it in capitals: “CASH IS BEST.” [[1]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-1) [[2]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-2) Cash lets the people on the ground buy exactly what is short, close to where it is needed.\n\nSupplies still matter when someone has asked for them. FEMA’s advice is to confirm the need first, because “needs can change quickly, so always check with local sources before donating.” [[1]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-1) That is why AVERT asks people to [pledge supplies](https://avertusa.org/donate/?give=supplies#pledge) rather than ship them: a volunteer matches the pledge to a real request before anything moves. The charter commits AVERT to it: the team “shall not knowingly solicit goods, funds, or services for which no legitimate requirement exists.” [[12]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-12)\n\n## Can I just drive down and help?\n\nPlease don’t, unless an organization working there has asked you to come. FEMA: “Don’t go to disaster areas on your own. While you may want to help, showing up without coordinating with a trusted organization can make things harder for responders and put you at risk.” [[1]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-1) National VOAD: “Until a need has been identified and the local community impacted has requested support, volunteers should not enter.” [[3]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-3)\n\nEmergency managers call people who show up this way unaffiliated or spontaneous volunteers. FEMA’s training for emergency managers notes that without established relationships, “verifying their training or credentials and matching them with the appropriate service areas can be difficult.” [[7]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-7) The fix is simple: join an organization before you go. AVERT’s own rule is the same, and its charter discourages “self deployment into AVERT operations without coordination.” [[12]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-12)\n\n## How do I get ready to help with the next disaster?\n\nGet trained now, while it is quiet. Ready.gov points people to Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) programs, which teach “basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.” [[4]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-4) FEMA describes CERT as a nationwide approach to volunteer training “that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations.” [[5]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-5) The American Red Cross offers free disaster training to its volunteers. [[6]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-6)\n\nThen pick a group and get to know it before you are needed. AVERT’s charter calls this response that “begins with trusted relationships rather than introductions.” [[12]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-12) If you want that group to be AVERT, the [relaunch roles](https://avertusa.org/volunteer/) are open now, including space for regional distribution centers near, but not inside, disaster country.\n\n## How do I check that a relief group is real?\n\nDisasters bring out scammers along with helpers. The Federal Trade Commission suggests a few checks before you give: “Most states require charities and their fundraisers to register with the state regulator,” so look the group up; search for it in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool; and “don’t rush.” [[9]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-9) Pay by credit card or check, and “don’t donate to anyone who says you can only pay by cash, gift card, wiring money, or cryptocurrency.” [[9]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-9) [[10]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-10)\n\nAsk any group, ours included, who runs it, what it has done and where the money goes. AVERT publishes [its letters, honors and news coverage](https://avertusa.org/about/#recognition) and [its charter](https://avertusa.org/charter/) so you can check its record before you give.\n\n## How AVERT does it\n\nEverything above is written into how AVERT works. In the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian, the team closed every day with the same wrap up, in Michael Brewer’s words: “What are you short? What do you need?” Then volunteers went to the supply locations, found who had what, loaded the truck and drove it there. [[11]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-11)\n\nThe charter boils it down to a few rules: requirements before resources, connection before acquisition, integration before duplication, and handoff is success. [[12]](https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-12) [Read the charter](https://avertusa.org/charter/), [see the field record](https://avertusa.org/about/#field-record) or [send help](https://avertusa.org/donate/).\n\n## Sources\n\n- [FEMA, Volunteer and Donate](https://www.fema.gov/disaster/recover/volunteer-donate), last updated April 20, 2026.\n\n- [National VOAD, Donate](https://www.nvoad.org/donate/), accessed October 15, 2026.\n\n- [National VOAD, Volunteer](https://www.nvoad.org/volunteer/), accessed October 15, 2026.\n\n- [Ready.gov, Get Involved](https://www.ready.gov/get-involved), last updated May 27, 2026.\n\n- [FEMA, Community Emergency Response Team](https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/individuals-communities/preparedness-activities-webinars/community-emergency-response-team), last updated April 22, 2026.\n\n- [American Red Cross, Disaster Training](https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/disaster-training), accessed October 15, 2026.\n\n- [FEMA Emergency Management Institute, IS 0703.b NIMS Resource Management](https://emilms.fema.gov/is_0703b/groups/251.html), accessed October 15, 2026.\n\n- [Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, Donations and Volunteers](https://gema.georgia.gov/get-involved/donations-volunteers), accessed October 15, 2026.\n\n- [Federal Trade Commission, Before Giving to a Charity](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/giving-charity), September 2025.\n\n- [Federal Trade Commission, When donating, support those in need, not a scammer](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2026/08/when-donating-support-those-need-not-scammer), August 27, 2026.\n\n- [WUSA9, Virginia veteran works to make sure all donations reach those in need in Bahamas, unlike in Puerto Rico](https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/va-veteran-working-make-sure-all-donations-reach-people-need-bahamas-unlike-puerto-rico/65-04afa063-181e-4b27-bc5c-3bf0ca7955b5), October 4, 2019.\n\n- [AVERT, Charter and Statement of Purpose](https://avertusa.org/charter/), published October 15, 2026.\n\nQuotes are copied from each source as it read on October 15, 2026. If a source has changed, the source wins. Tell us through the [contact form](https://avertusa.org/contact/) and we will fix this page.\n\n## The short version\n\nAsk first. Give money. Join before you go.\n\n[Answer the call](https://avertusa.org/volunteer/)\n[Send help](https://avertusa.org/donate/)\n", "links": [ "https://avertusa.org/", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#why", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#money-or-supplies", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#go-or-stay", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#get-ready", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#check-a-charity", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#how-avert-works", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#section-sources", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#creed-title", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#sources", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-1", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-2", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-4", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-8", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-11", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-12", "https://avertusa.org/donate/?give=supplies#pledge", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-3", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-7", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-5", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-6", "https://avertusa.org/volunteer/", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-9", "https://avertusa.org/help-after-a-disaster/#source-10", "https://avertusa.org/about/#recognition", "https://avertusa.org/charter/", "https://avertusa.org/about/#field-record", "https://avertusa.org/donate/", "https://www.fema.gov/disaster/recover/volunteer-donate", "https://www.nvoad.org/donate/", "https://www.nvoad.org/volunteer/", "https://www.ready.gov/get-involved", "https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/individuals-communities/preparedness-activities-webinars/community-emergency-response-team", "https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/disaster-training", "https://emilms.fema.gov/is_0703b/groups/251.html", "https://gema.georgia.gov/get-involved/donations-volunteers", "https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/giving-charity", "https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2026/08/when-donating-support-those-need-not-scammer", "https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/va-veteran-working-make-sure-all-donations-reach-people-need-bahamas-unlike-puerto-rico/65-04afa063-181e-4b27-bc5c-3bf0ca7955b5", "https://avertusa.org/contact/" ], "images": [], "contentSha256": "ac7ab0ffad2b8864d3b2d2412f3dca18496caad9ea013a45300d73a20a8b6f63", "notice": "Equivalent public page content; navigation and form controls are omitted. 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