You can help with hurricane relief

Everyone wants to help.

But it’s how you help that matters.

In the wake of Hurricane Harvey and with Hurricane Irma breathing down the neck of Florida, those of us in the relative safety of the Midwest want to do whatever we can to assist our fellow Americans in their time of need.

So how do we do that effectively?

Retired United Methodist pastor Greg Rittenhouse has been down this road before, and he’s putting together an effort that won’t be a “feel good” moment for donors but will actually be of meaningful assistance.

Through Monday, hygiene kits and cleaning bucket kits are being gathered together and assembled at 121 E. Arch St. in Portland. That’s the former site of Judan Judo Club and — to those of us who have been around awhile — the former site of Lyons Buick.

There, volunteers will be accepting specific items to put together the cleaning buckets and hygiene kits.

What do they need?

For cleaning kits, they are looking for:

•Five-gallon buckets with re-sealable lids. (Buckets that have been used for chemicals are not accepted, but fast food buckets are OK.)

•One 50-ounce or two 25-ounce bottles of liquid laundry detergent.

•Liquid household cleaner in 12 to 16 ounce bottles. Not spray cleaners but liquids that can be mixed.

•Dish soap in 16 to 28 ounce bottles.

•Sponges, scouring pads, scrub brushes, cleaning wipes, clothespins and clothes lines, dust masks, 24-roll packages of heavy duty trash bags, waterproof gloves and work gloves, insect repellant, and air freshener.

For hygiene kits, they are looking for:

•New unused hand towels and wash cloths.

•Tooth brushes and toothpaste.

•Adhesive bandages.

•Bath-size bars of soap.

•Combs, nail clippers and nail files.

•And one-gallon re-sealable plastic bags to package things up.

On top of that, they could use cases of bottled water, new full-size bath towels and boxed diapers and pull-ups. (A full list of items is available with this editorial online at thecr.com.)

They also need volunteers.

That’s the case this weekend, and it will be the case Tuesday when the materials are sorted, packed and loaded for the trip to Texas.

Donations are being accepted from 3 to 8 p.m. daily through Monday.

But there are some things that shouldn’t be dropped off, such as clothes or food or cash.

Monetary donations will be accepted by check to be made out to Asbury United Methodist Church with Harvey Relief written in the memo line. Those funds will be used to buy stuff to make sure the cleaning buckets and hygiene kits are complete.

This is a nearly spontaneous volunteer effort, so if you have questions the best bet is to stop by the 121 E. Arch St. site between 3 and 8 p.m. and ask in person.

There is a way to help. This is it. — J.R.