Relief efforts underway in Montana

As rain continues to pour down on coastal areas of Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Flathead Valley churches and the Red Cross of Montana are among those responding with disaster relief.

Even as Montana is dealing with its own natural disaster — wildfires burning throughout the western half of the state —organizations have begun pulling together resources to send to those ravaged by flood waters in the Houston area and beyond..

The Red Cross of Montana is accepting donations of money and blood to send to Harvey’s victims.

Communications Director Matt Ochsner said the Red Cross prefers cash donations to goods because funds can be sent quickly and spent locally in the communities where the storm has most affected local economies.

“It’s a very difficult situation, and it’s not getting any better,” Ochsner said. “We’re not talking weeks at this point. We’re talking months and maybe years of recovery at this point.”

The aftermath of the hurricane prompted President Donald Trump to sign a declaration of disaster, allowing victims and communities to receive full access to federal aid.

Ochsner said the Red Cross of Montana will be sending its own volunteers south over the next three months into the disaster zones to offer assistance and supplies. He said it is difficult to get volunteers into the area yet because the flooding is still occurring.

For now, he said, the organization is working to balance the need for aid on local wildfires with relief efforts in Texas.

For those interested in making monetary donations to the Red Cross relief effort, donations can be made in the following ways:

- Visit http://www.redcross.org and click the “donate” button.

- Text HARVEY to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

- Call 1-800-REDCROSS to donate over the phone.

- Mail a check to Red Cross of Montana at 1300 28th St. S., Great Falls, MT 59405.

To schedule a blood donation appointment, visit http://www.redcross.org and click the “donate blood” button.

Churches around the valley are also taking disaster-relief donations in partnership with national programs.

Canvas Church in Kalispell is partnering with Convoy of Hope, a national disaster-relief program that responds to areas across the nation impacted by natural disasters to provide supplies, food, shelter and more. To date, the program has responded to more than 300 international and domestic disasters and distributed nearly 2,500 loads of supplies to people in disaster-affected communities. To donate through Convoy of Hope, visit convoy.org/donate.

Northridge Lutheran Church in Kalispell, through its partnership with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, also is taking and encouraging donations.

According to Anita Menssen, office manager for Northridge Lutheran, the ELCA specializes in disasters relief and has an A+ rating for its efforts and contributions.

The ELCA website states it is focuses on collaborating with community leaders to respond appropriately and launch long-term recovery efforts.

To donate through the ELCA, visit http://www.elca.org and click the give now button under Hurricane Harvey Relief.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.