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How To Donate For Hurricane Matthew Relief

by Chris Tognotti

It's been a harrowing week for those in the path of Hurricane Matthew, not to mention those who might soon be hit by the category four storm. First, Matthew tore through Haiti, leaving a huge amount of destruction in its wake, and now it's projected to possibly make landfall along the U.S. east coast. The news has spurred warnings from public officials, including Florida Gov. Rick Scott and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley — so, if you're hoping to help out, here are six groups mobilizing for Hurricane Matthew relief, and how you can help them.

It doesn't matter whether you're hoping to provide some support to the relief and recovery efforts in the United States — although the impact will hopefully be minimal, many projections suggest that Matthew could have a calamitous effect up and down the eastern seaboard — or whether you want to help people living in afflicted foreign lands, like Haiti and Jamaica.

Suffice to say there will be more than enough damage and misery to go around once this natural disaster comes to an end, and there are countless people who could really be helped by your support. So if you have the time, the money, and the desire, please consider donating to some of these groups that are trying to ease the suffering.

1. Food For The Poor

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If you're looking for a way to donate money or resources to the relief efforts in Haiti and Jamaica, then this is a pretty good option — as Miami's ABC affiliate WPLG details, Food For The Poor is planning shipments of resources to help people in affected regions, including water, food, and emergency supplies. You can find their official website here, complete with instructions on how to donate.

2. The American Red Cross

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The American Red Cross is a reliable choice for natural disasters and emergency situations that hit within the United States, and with Matthew still barreling towards American shores, there are some things the international aid organization sorely needs — in particular, blood donations. If you're available to schedule an appointment to donate some of your blood, you can find the necessary info here, as well as instructions on how to donate your money. The American Red Cross is rated A- by CharityWatch.

3. World Vision

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An explicitly Christian charity, World Vision is yet another aid provider within Haiti, and they've launched a page to direct your donations towards the rebuild and recovery effort there. In the event that recovery is completed with an excess of money left over — before your donations have been spent, in other words — World Vision says the money will go towards any other "urgent needs in the region." World Vision is rated A- by CharityWatch.

4. UNICEF

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One of the most recognized and longest-running international aid organizations out there, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is dedicated explicitly to providing aid and crucial services to children and mothers in impoverished and/or disaster-stricken circumstances. They're currently focusing attention on the plight that's befallen Haiti, and is expected to befall Jamaica as Matthew moves onwards.

5. Save The Children

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Save The Children is a consistently highly rated charity organization that focuses on, you guessed it, aid for children around the world. They're currently on the ground in Haiti, and are accepting donations to "protect vulnerable children and provide desperately needed relief to families." Save The Children is rated A by CharityWatch.

6. Mercy Corps

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The Mercy Corps is yet another charity option if you're hoping to help ease the suffering of the people Hurricane Matthew has already affected — as its donations page indicates, they're currently focusing on the recovery effort in Haiti following Matthew's furious path through the island nation, as well as tending to humanitarian crises around the world, in places like Iraq, Nigeria, Syria, and South Sudan. Mercy Corps is rated A- by CharityWatch.