Despite the horrible things Hurricane Harvey has caused, it brought our community closer. Local residents have gone out of their way to help those in need, and even more people are looking for ways to help out.

The Berry Center was accepting volunteers and donations, and the results so exceeded expectations that they had to turn volunteers away. However, they are still accepting donations of pet food and pet beds. 

If you are looking to help out, here are a few other options.

Go volunteer at local churches that have opened up their doors for refugees.

Donate canned goods, water, and maybe even try cooking a homemade meal to donate to a shelter. A hot meal can go a long way.

Donate some clothes and blankets. Some people only have the clothes they wore in their escape, so go check that closet of yours and see if you have anything you are willing to get rid of.

Go volunteer at a hospital. Hospitals have seen a crazy number of people go in because of injuries and they would appreciate the help.

Donate blood. Some of the victims of Harvey have been injured and lost blood in accidents.

Donate books or toys. People lost everything and need some sort of distraction to forget about what’s happened, even if it’s only something small.

Donate dog and cat food, toys, and beds. Some pets were unfortunately left behind and they too need typical day-to-day items to get by.

Adopt a dog. Dog shelters are getting an overwhelming amount of pets right now and they cannot contain them all. Adopting a pet into your family will help out shelters and pets alike.

Go volunteer at a dog shelter. Since there is an overwhelming amounts of animals going in, the workers will need help to make sure all the animals are getting proper care.

Join school clubs like Habitat for Humanity and Key Club who build houses or donate items for refugees.

Last but not least, donate some money to charities helping victims of Hurricane Harvey.

Now even though it is important to help out local places, do not forget that other places outside of Houston are suffering from the hurricane.