Hurricane Matthew left devastation and death in its wake after hitting the United States and the Caribbean. It also brought out the best in humanity as people came together to share support through charity and words.
Following the catastrophic natural disaster (which stuck Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina in the states), celebrities and politicians took to social media to tweet their support for the victims.
Haiti was specifically hit hard by the hurricane, which prompted Barbados-born Rihanna to tweet, “My heart absolutely breaks for Haiti!!! Prayers up for my brothers and sisters who’ve fallen victim to this tragic event!.”
Pink and Heidi Klum asked their respective followers to take action, tweeting links to UNICEF’s Hurricane Relief website along with images of themselves alongside the children of Haiti.
Actor Josh Gad revealed his personal ties to the situation tweeting: “All my #Floridians, please say (sp) safe. My family just scrambled up North to avoid the eye. Find a shelter and hunker down,” while Oscar winners Forest Whitaker and Reese Witherspoon sent their prayers to all those affected by the storm.
And in the midst of a contentious election season Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both took a break from campaigning to tweet their send their support.
“Thoughts & prayers with the millions of people in the path of Hurricane Matthew. Look out for neighbors, and listen to your local officials,” Mr. Trump tweeted.
“Hurricane #Matthew is a major storm. I urge everyone to follow emergency instructions and evacuate if you’re told to. Stay safe Florida,” said Mrs. Clinton ahead of Matthew’s landfall in the U.S. while including evacuation tips from FEMA.
Ways You Can Help Hurricane Matthew Victims
The world stands united in helping the victims of Hurricane Matthew and there are many ways in which you can assist in the efforts.
Unfortunately, in natural disasters such as this one, people will look to exploit the generosity of others. A good way to steer clear of any false relief funds is to visit the Center for International Disaster website where it compiled a list of reputable charitable organizations.
The CIDI urges cash donations rather than supplies.
“Unlike material donations, cash involves no transportation costs, shipping delays, or customs fees. It also enables relief organizations to spend more time providing aid by spending less time managing goods,” reads a passage on the website.
Volunteering is also an option, but if you can’t travel or make a cash donation, the American Red Cross encourages blood donations especially by those people with type O blood.
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