Brands Lead The Hurricane Harvey Relief Effort

Brands have done so much for Hurricane Relief. Hurricane Harvey was the first major storm of its kind to make landfall in the US in over a decade and caused mass destruction along the southern border of the nation. Companies from all over the country are offering funds, goods, their employees and offices to help with the relief. At this point, corporate donations have already surpassed $157 million.

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have pledged $2 million to the mayor of Houston. They also have plans to match customer donations on a two-to-one basis. These funds will add up to $10 million that will be donated to the relief effort. Dell is a Texas-based company that has been around for decades and has become a global brand of choice in the computer industry. They pledged a whopping $36 million to assist Texas. The Starbucks Foundation has pledged $250,000, and the chain is encouraging its customers to chip in by allowing them to make a direct donation to the organizations aiding Texas in any of its coffee shops across the country. Home Depot is pledging one million to numerous organizations that are helping out with relief efforts and has put together its Team Depot volunteers who are on their way to help with the cleanup effort.

When Hurricane Harvey hit, people tried to prepare for the worst: buying up provisions from grocery stores and stocking up on water. Because of this, companies raised the price of water bottles to make even more profit. Companies such as Best Buy are being scrutinized by the public for their price-gouging during a time when people have lost their cars, homes, and even loved ones. Anheuser-Busch sent over 255,000 cans of emergency drinking water to Corpus Christie, Houston, and Austin to aid Hurricane Harvey response efforts and donated all of the profits to The American Red Cross.

Even fashion companies have stepped in to help. For example, Lime Crime, a trendy makeup company, will be donating 100 % of sales of their Beet it Matte Velvetine lipstick to help Houston. Keep in mind that many animals were affected by Hurricane Harvey too, which is why companies like PetSmart are giving one million dollars to animal welfare agencies that have been working to rescue and relocate homeless pets in the storm-ravaged areas.

It’s amazing that so many companies have been doing everything they can to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey. However, it’s important to ensure your business’s disaster relief donations are well received. For smaller companies, your efforts can be coordinated with an accredited organization or the local government to determine whether your donations qualify. Depending on your industry and your business’s size, you may have access to supplies or service that will be useful to victims and aid workers. Media Companies have worked hard to list companies and organizations that will accept certain donations so that the general public can help.

In the corporate world, it’s all about competition. It’s the reason why we see CVS open across the street from Walgreens. It’s the reason why commercials will refer to their competitors and claim they are better. In times of Disaster, these companies come together for one unified reason: to help. Now the incredibly powerful Hurricane Irma is barreling towards Florida, and everyone in America is watching worried that Florida will be in worse shape than Houston was after Harvey. If you missed your opportunity to help after Harvey, here’s your chance for you or your company to employ a plan to help.