Human Interest Hurricane Irma: Here's How to Help the Victims How to volunteer, donate, house and assist in the wake of Hurricane Irma By Rose Minutaglio Published on September 11, 2017 12:21 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Hurricane Irma devastated a string of Caribbean islands before hitting Florida and causing statewide destruction. Officials are still accessing the full extent of the damage from the storm, which resulted in several deaths and left millions without power. Here’s how you can help. Medical Assistance Volunteers with medical backgrounds are needed, according to Gov. Rick Scott. He’s requesting 1,000 Florida nurses to help out at storm shelters across the state. Interested volunteers should email BPRCHDPreparedness@flhealth.gov or HelpFL@FLhealth.gov. Baby Delivered in Coral Springs, Florida During Hurricane Irma Housing Airbnb has a page dedicated to housing displaced Floridians and relief workers. So far, 175 hosts have volunteered their abodes in the wake of the tragedy, but the company is looking for more in the Florida Panhandle, northern Georgia and northwest and southeast South Carolina. Bernd-Michael Kubisch/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images Volunteer The American Red Cross opened shelters, sent supplies and is placing volunteers around Florida. Want to volunteer? Click here. Another organization, Volunteer Florida, is “mobilizing volunteers to staff our state’s shelters and other disaster relief organizations,” according to their website. The organized is guided by a board appointed by the Governor and Florida Senate. Gov. Rick Scott also noted that people can text “DISASTER” to 20222. Register here and find out more here. Wilfredo Lee/AP If you’d like to volunteer in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands — the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster is also looking for people. Their registration form can be found here. Donate People can donate or text “IRMA” to 90999 to give $10 to the American Red Cross. The nonprofit Americares, a health-focused relief and development organization, is accepting donations here. Apple, which donated $5 million to support hurricane relief efforts for both Harvey and Irma, is making it easy for customers to give to the relief efforts of Hand in Hand by donating through iTunes and the App Store. Rise Against Hunger, an international hunger relief organization that distributes food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable, has been working to respond quickly and effectively to natural disasters in the U.S. and around the globe. You can donate on their website. Celebrities like Kenny Chesney and Tim Duncan have also created foundations to help out. Other donations can be made through Save the Children, Global Giving, American University in Antigua,