Although Firefly makes a fair point, there is a little behind the camaras that reporters forget to mention and take the news out of context (as they always do). There are families outside the affected areas that can help because of many factors and reasons. Sure, the Red Cross and Salvation Army are the first ones to help, but they are only a handfull for what is needed out there, and this is where these families come in and get help from Churches, local charities and such. These families are the point of contact for many affected areas and they need guidance and support right now. Dan, I have been first hand in disaster areas and the last thing these volunteers and affected people do is turn away help and supplies. Eventually they are taken in, inventoried and used when needed. If they become a surplus and it is not perishable, it is stored for a future incident. Incident Command Centers are setup for these types of situations, and there is a logistics section that takes care of this types of outside donations/manpower, etc.
That being said, I am not saying to go out and help out of the blue. If you are a part of a charity committee or know of one, contact them since they have the points of contact and know what is needed and where to go. And to acknowledge Dan's statement, money is always needed by these helpful charities. Any bit helps!

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