Typhoon Haiyan — known in the Philippines as ‘Yolanda’ — slammed onto Philippine shores Nov. 8 leaving more than half a million residents wandering the streets among ruins or in crudely stocked shelters and almost 2,000 people dead.

To add insult to injury, the country had still been recovering from 2011’s Tropical Storm Washi and last month’s 7.2 earthquake when winds reaching speeds of up to 195 miles per hour churned in torrents of rain, ocean water and structures, making it one of the strongest measured storms in history.

“From what I’ve seen and heard, things look pretty bad there,” sophomore Sheyana Romento said. Romento, being half-Filipino, has family in the Philippines who remain uncontacted.

“I’m very worried; I don’t know if they were affected by it,” Romento said.

Since the storm, volunteers both in and out of country have begun to provide relief. The United States, the United Nations, the European Union, and at least 24 other countries/organizations pledged money for the provision of food, clean water, shelter and medical support.

But these organizations need your help.

Here are a few organizations that are helping to channel funds for the distribution of supplies in Haiyan’s wake:

• Gawad Kalinga– Philippines-based organization; works directly in affected areas to provide food packs

• UNICEF– program founded by the UN; distributes food, safe water, and essential medicine/hygiene care for children and families

• World Food Programme– program founded by the UN; provides food and other nutritional supplements

• The Philippine Red Cross– program affiliated with the International Red Cross; deploys volunteers and emergency responders to distribute supplies and administer medical procedures

• International Medical Corps– US-based but with international reach; isolates infection and provides food, clean water, and medical supplies

It verges on cliche, but every dollar counts. Although donating clothing and other items is largely helpful, the victims have an immediate need for funding. Students can make a difference by donating money, raising funds (through yard sales, bake sales, etc.), or even spreading the word to those in a more opportune position, such as relatives or other organizations.

With all the nice weather in the Central Texas area and the upcoming Thanksgiving break, students have much to be thankful for. They can return their prosperity in the form of helping others.