HOUSTON — As victims of the Maui wildfires start the heartbreaking path of rebuilding their lives, Houstonians are making sure they don't do it alone.
Vanessa Valdez with the American Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast Region said the non-profit has deployed a local volunteer to Hawaii, and several more are on standby.
“I mean it’s gone," Valdez said."There’s almost nothing left of these people’s homes and businesses and everything.”
If you want to help, Valdez said donating directly to those impacted is a great option.
“Mainly we ask for donations so we can put the money right back into the client’s hand so they can hopefully start to rebuild when they are allowed to,” she said.
If you want to donate to something more specific, Lily's Toy Box is putting together its own donation drive for Maui wildfire victims.
“We decided after seeing the news that we wanted to send toys to kids in Hawaii," said Lily's mom, Jessica Dubose.
Lily's Toy Box was born six years ago in the midst of Hurricane Harvey. Its founder Lily Dubose was 8 years old at the time.
“Lily and I were home during Hurricane Harvey and watching the news, and she decided that she wanted to give her own toys away," Jessica said. "Now it’s a 5013c non-profit, and she’s given about 70,000 new toys away to kids.”
The non-profit does yearly events, including a big Christmas giveaway.
Lily is now 14 years old and a freshman in high school, but she still knows the value of a toy. After seeing what happened in Hawaii, she wants to extend their efforts across the ocean.
Click the links below for more ways you can help: