How You Can Help Hurricane Sandy Victims

An all-star telethon will be broadcast on NBC and other networks Friday night from 8 to 9 p.m. to raise money for millions of hurricane victims, and most of the pop icons hail from the states most impacted. Singers Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen are from New Jersey; Billy Joel is from Long Island and Christina Aguilera is from Staten Island.

Also appearing on Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together, are Sting, and New Yorkers Jimmy Fallon, late-night talk show host and Saturday Night Live alum, and NBC news anchor Brian Williams (a former volunteer fireman in New Jersey).

Donations will go to the American Red Cross. To donate, people can visit www.redcross.org , call 1-800-RED-CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. 

The American Red Cross Greater New York Region provided the following information with suggestions for helping those affected by the impact of hurricane Sandy. It has dramatic consequences for much of the East Coast and has left millions without power, heat, food. TV reports show gripping footage of people begging for help, and mothers with babies and no way to heat formula, etc. Locally, the Red Cross has numerous locations where you can find out how to give blood or otherwise help disaster relief. In L.A. County,  Orange County and Long Beach, the Red Cross has chapters and lists of locations at which you can donate blood and other options.

• Donate Blood or Host A Blood Drive - Encourage employees to participate in community blood drives and/or host a blood drive on-site for both staff and customers. As a blood drive sponsor, you can help meet the blood needs of patients in your community and across the United States.
• Implement a Customer Donation Program - Give your customers the opportunity to support Disaster Relief by simply adding a dollar amount to their total purchase.   
• Sponsor an Employee Giving and Matching Gift Program - Engage employees by sponsoring a fundraising campaign in support of Disaster Relief and provide an incentive to participate by matching employee donations.
• Conduct a Percentage of Sales Program - Showcase your commitment to the Red Cross and the people we serve while generating sales for your company by donating a percentage of your sales to Disaster Relief.
• Donate Ad Space - Donate a portion of your advertising inventory and help share our stories about the individuals, families and communities affected by disaster. 
• Place a Red Cross Banner Ad on Your Website - Place a Red Cross banner ad on your company website to reinforce your support of the Red Cross and encourage donations through our Donate Now webpage.
• Text "REDCROSS" to 90999 to Make a Donation – Customers of participating wireless carriers can make a $10 donation to support Disaster Relief by texting “REDCROSS” to 90999. Donations will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid account. Message and Data rates may apply. Full terms and privacy policy can be found at redcross.org/m.
• Many other agencies and organizations are rallying for victims. Just one of them, Samaritan's Purse, can be seen in this YouTube.