As
well as helping victims of the wildfires in California, Amazon is benevolently using its resources
to help lessen the destruction in Southern Louisiana, particularly Lake
Charles, after Category 4 Hurricane Laura struck the area. According to an
article on Clean Technica, Amazon, in partnership with Louisiana Economic Development's
emergency management team, has donated more than 150,000 water bottles to help
residents ameliorate one of the many issues in the hurricane's wake: contaminated
water. Citizens of Lake Charles requested items that they need to clean up the
aftermath of the hurricane, such as generators, chainsaws, diapers, and solar
light chargers. Amazon listened to these requests and has provided and
delivered these items in partnership with the Governor's Office of Homeland
Security and Emergency Preparedness and World Hope International, which,
according to their website, "is a Christian relief and
development organization working with vulnerable and exploited communities to
alleviate poverty, suffering, and injustice." Amazon's website states that they've donated "more
than 170,000 bottles of water, 16,000 KN95 masks, and over 185,000 food items"
to California.
Amazon
has also curated a charity list that makes the process easier for
citizens to donate. The list includes charities such as the American Red Cross,
the Saint Bernard Project (SBP), Save the Children, and Feeding America. Amazon
allows those who help to choose between donating cash and donating essentials;
for example, it is possible to donate cash to the American Red Cross, and it is
also possible to donate cash and essentials to Save the Children. Donations can
easily be made with one spoken sentence, as Amazon created a feature on their
notable voice-service Alexa that, according to their website, responds to "Alexa, make a
donation to Hurricane Laura relief at the American Red Cross."
According
to NBC News, there have been at least 24 deaths due to Hurricane Laura. Also,
cities in Louisiana and Texas now face damages that have cost them between $4
billion and $12 billion. Officials in Louisiana claim that Laura was one of the
strongest hurricanes to hit this state. The damage of the storm is still
affecting communities in South Louisiana, and Amazon's help will not go
unnoticed. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards expressed gratitude towards
Amazon by saying, "We are grateful for Amazon's continued support and
partnership, as it allows us to get emergency aid and critical supplies
directly to residents in need quickly and to provide immediate relief."
