These past two weeks, we in the United States have witnessed the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. With images of Texas that are reminiscent of the “100 Year Storm” called Hurricane Katrina from 2005, the devastation provokes two thoughts: Are 100 year storms now going be 12 year storms and how can we help the people of Texas?
Outside of the United States, devastating floods are ravaging other parts of the world. In Bangladesh, the death toll is over 130 with millions of people being displaced. In Nepal, the death toll is over 140, while extreme flooding in different regions of India have caused over 500 deaths. In Sierra Leone, the presumed death toll due to floods will be more than 1,000 people.
This Friday, Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew will be making a joint statement on the need to care for creation. In light of this, I will save my thoughts on our current ecological crisis for Monday. Today, let us pray for the victims of all of these storms. May we be moved to solidarity, offering our support to assist relief efforts in these regions. Below are specific links you can follow to donate to areas of global crisis. May our faith inspire us to support those in need. Thank you for your generosity.
Sierra Leone: Catholic Relief Services
Texas: Catholic Charities – USA or Catholic Relief Services
I was not able to find a specific donation site for Bangladesh and India, but you can follow the link to Caritas International to find information about how to give to these and/or other emergencies globally.
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