FLORIDA — From Tampa Bay to the Big Bend, and into parts north of Florida, Helene left behind a path of destruction.

Hurricane Helene hit Florida’s Big Bend region Thursday night as a powerful Category 4 storm.

The biggest impacts were from Helene’s storm surge, even in the Tampa Bay area.

If you would like to help those affected by Helene, here is a list of organizations you can donate to.

The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is mobilizing its disaster response teams and mobile feeding units in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas to respond to the impacts of Hurricane Helene. Your donation will help provide emergency aid, food, drinks, emotional and spiritual care, and long-term recovery services to the disaster’s survivors.  

American Red Cross

Make a monetary donation for those impacted by Helene or donate blood for disaster victims.

OneBlood

OneBlood says there is an urgent call for additional blood donations due to Hurricane Helene. While all blood types are needed, there is an increased need for O Negative and O Positive blood as well as Platelet donations.

Care USA

The organization is providing cash assistance to those impacted by Helene.

GoFundMe

GoFundMe has created a general Hurricane Helene relief fund for those impacted.

Florida Disaster Fund

The Florida Disaster Fund assists Florida’s communities as they recover during times of emergency or disaster. The funds are distributed to service organizations that will serve individuals within their communities with disaster response and recovery. For Hurricane Helene, all administrative and credit card fees have been waived so that 100% of every donation is used to help Floridians recover.

United Way of Florida

The UWOF fund will assist the communities in Florida impacted by Hurricane Helene.

Feeding Tampa Bay

Feeding Tampa Bay says donations will be put to work immediately in the areas most impacted to provide people with pathways back to stability in the days, weeks and months after the storm.

Metropolitan Ministries

The organization says donations will provide families with the food, water, shelter, and supplies they need after Hurricane Helene.
 

Pinellas County Hurricane Helene donation collection sites

The following locations are for donation drop-offs only, unless otherwise specified by the location's agency.

Sites open throughout the week:

All Saints Episcopal Church, 1700 Keystone Rd, Tarpon Springs
Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

First United Methodist Dunedin, 421 Main St., Dunedin
Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Habitat for Humanity Admin, 14010 Roosevelt Blvd, Suite 704, Clearwater
Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Greenwood Recreation Center, 900 N Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Clearwater
Monday - Friday, Sunday, 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. and Saturday, 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Clearview United Methodist Church, 4515 38th Ave N, St. Petersburg
Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Maritime and Defense Tech Hub, 450 8th Ave SE, St. Petersburg
Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Gulfport United Methodist Church, 2728 53rd St. S, Gulfport
Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Items not accepted:

  • Used clothing
  • Bottled water
  • Furniture, appliances and other large items

Items accepted:

  • Canned or non-perishable food
  • Sports drinks
  • Personal care items
  • Disposable baby diapers
  • Baby food/ formula
  • Can openers (manual)
  • Plastic ware
  • Paper products
  • Disposable adult diapers
  • Cleaning supplies, including mops and brooms
  • Dust masks
  • Work gloves, Heavy rubber kitchen gloves and non-sterile gloves
  • Flashlights and fresh batteries
  • Hand tools

Pinellas County officials say people interested in volunteering can sign up through Volunteer Connect.