Hundreds of thousands of Americans were told to evacuate on Thursday as Hurricane Matthew makes its way to the east coast.
The category four storm has already had a devastating and destructive path through the Caribbean this week. Haitian officials reported a death toll of at least 108, warning that they expect that number to rise as they further assess the damage.
“The living situation is not good when there is no rain, and now we are talking about a Hurricane,” Ruben Cenea with Mission of Hope Haiti said. “This country is going to need a lot of help.”
Cenea survived the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and has dedicated his life to helping the island bounce back. He is a volunteer with Mission of Hope Haiti, an Austin-based organization that delivers supplies and relief to the country every month.
“It’s the worst thing you can imagine,” Cenea said. “We are here to help and that is what we are trying to do with the little resources we have.”
Cenea, who’s now back in his home country, says it’s unrecognizable. He said thousands are now without food or shelter, hundreds of homes were destroyed, and most of the country is still underwater.
“The magnitude of this devastation is really hard to even comprehend right now,” Jan Gunter with the Salvation Army of Texas said.
The Salvation Army has set up donation drives on their website, where 100 percent of the proceeds will go directly to Haiti.
“Any support that we are able to provide will really go a long way in helping these people recover,” Gunter said. “The best thing that you can do is donate money, because then the folks that are on the ground there can assess the situation and make sure that money goes as far as possible and purchase what’s needed.”
To donate to the Salvation Army, click here.
For more information on Mission of Hope Haiti, click here.
