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Taylor Swift offers $1 million aid in Louisiana. What can the rest of us do?

Taylor Swift has promised $1 million to aid flood relief efforts in Louisiana. Here are donation ideas for the rest of us.

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John Oubre/The Advocate/AP
Volunteers pull a boat with a woman and young child as they evacuate from their homes Saturday, in Baton Rouge, La.

Severe flooding in Louisiana has caused 11 deaths and damaged at least 40,000 homes, officials say. More than 30,000 people have been rescued by emergency first responders, but as the rainfall recedes, recovery has become the state’s new priority.

On Tuesday, pop star Taylor Swift pledged to donate $1 million toward flood relief. But there are other ways to lend a hand, even if you’re not on Forbes’s celebrity rich list.

Disaster relief organizations, such as the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army, are collecting food and basic health items for flood victims. Others are seeking active volunteers for cleanup and evacuation efforts. Animal lovers can donate pet food and toys, or volunteer their houses as temporary foster homes. Many charities will accept cash donations either online or by phone.

If you’d like to contribute, check out the links below:

The Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans & Acadiana is accepting cash donations to support their work of distributing food, water, and supplies to flood victims. 

Operation Blessing International, a nonprofit humanitarian organization, is deploying volunteers for recovery efforts and providing hot meals to displaced residents. You can sign up to volunteer by emailing volunteer@OB.org.

United Way of Southeast Louisiana is a local nonprofit accepting cash donations and volunteers online or by mail. 

NOLA Pay It Forward is an initiative by the Greater New Orleans Foundation to aid neighboring parishes in relief and rebuilding efforts. You can donate online.

The Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana is accepting online donations. All proceeds go to teachers who have lost classroom materials in the flood. Teachers can also apply for financial aid through the organization.

Companion Animal Alliance is Baton Rouge’s city animal shelter. The shelter has asked for temporary foster homes, food and water, large bath towels, and other supplies. Donations can be made through the organization’s website.

The Denham Springs Animal Shelter, which was flooded last week, is accepting donations through a GoFundMe campaign. PetCo has promised to match donations up to $50,000. You can also send supplies directly through the shelter’s Amazon wishlist.

A more complete list of charities and relief organizations can be found here and here.

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