7 easy ways you can help families devastated by Hurricane Florence

Hurricane Florence made landfall on Friday, September 14 impacting thousands of families along the east coast of the US - mainly the Carolinas and other neighboring states. To date, 15 people have died and roughly 950,000 people are without power. Additionally, many have lost their homes and access to basic needs like clean water.

If you're like me, watching the devastation on TV can make you feel helpless. So I compiled a list of non-profits (in no particular order) that are sending aid and support to the area for families in need.  Please note that all charities listed below have either a "Good" or "Exceptional" Charity Navigator Grade so you can feel confident that what you give goes to where it's needed most.

One thing to keep in mind... sending money is almost always the most efficient way to help in a disaster, according to the Center for International Disaster Information. When physical goods are donated, volunteers waste valuable time sorting through a mountain of items that may, or may not serve people’s immediate needs.

To donate, click any of the "donate here" links below. Then pass the word and click here to share this article on Facebook.

Charity	What they're doing...	How to Give
	Setting up child friendly spaces in evacuation shelters, coordinating emergency distributions of child-centric materials, and helping children get back to learning and returning to normalcy.	donate here
	Aftermath cleanup of debris and mold so families can move back into their homes quickly.	donate here
	Providing clean water, safe shelter and hot meals	Donate $10 by texting "FLORENCE" to 90999 or donate here
No Rating	Operating mobile food trucks and distributing comfort kits	Text STORM to 51555.
	Providing medicine and medical supplies	donate here
	Distributing funds to local nonprofits in North and South Carolina to help them provide relief to victims of the storm.	donate here
	Dispatching trucks of food to those in need. $50 provides 200 meals.	donate here