CENTRAL INDIANA FLOOD DONATION RESOURCES - HOW YOU CAN HELP

If you have seen the news, looked at your phone or driven anywhere near the White River this week - then you already know.

Communities across central Indiana had a week none of us would wish on anyone. I have lived on the north side of Indianapolis nearly all of my life, and never would have thought that the White River was capable of this level of devastation. Homes flooded. Roads collapsed. Families displaced with almost no warning. And in so many of those homes, a dog or a cat who did not understand why the floor was suddenly the wrong place to stand.

That last part is the one I keep thinking about.

I was looking for where I could donate dog food or crates, because I knew there had to be displaced families out there with some very confused pets. I wasn't able to find any immediate resources, so I gathered the places that need us most into one simple list. Where to bring supplies, where to give, and where to roll up your sleeves. If you can only do one thing today, pick the section that fits you and start there. Everything is still shifting quickly, so a quick call or a glance at the linked page before you head out is always worth it.

FOR OUR FELLOW PET LOVERS

If you want your donation to land directly in the hands of a pet owner who is hurting right now, give to FIDO Indy.

FIDO runs a pet food pantry that keeps dogs and cats fed when their families are stretched to the edge, and that is exactly the situation so many flood-affected households are in this week. A bag of food or a box of litter through FIDO does not sit in a warehouse. It goes straight to a family who is trying to keep their pet safe while they put their own life back together. For our Wander Pet community, this is the most direct way your love for animals becomes real help.

Anderson Protection League is accepting donations at their location. The Anderson community pulled off the incredible feat of placing 100 dogs in temporary homes when the shelter needed to be evacuated to the fairgrounds. It was remarkable! Next step? Finding those good boys and girls their forever homes.

IF YOU WANT TO DROP OFF SUPPLIES FOR AFFECTED FAMILIES

Beyond pets, whole families need the basics right now. These locations are collecting donated goods:

Washington Township Services Center / North Central High School 8401 Westfield Blvd. Drop off at Door #20, on the south side of the building.

Hamilton Heights High School Donations can be dropped off at the high school.

Grace Church, Noblesville Also accepting donations.

IF YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY VOLUNTEER

Supplies matter, but hands matter just as much. The cleanup ahead is enormous, and the families along the river cannot do it alone.

Serve Village is coordinating hands-on volunteers for the work that actually has to happen on the ground.

If you have a free afternoon and a strong back, this is where it counts.

IF YOU WOULD RATHER GIVE MONEY

If sorting and hauling is not your season of life right now, dollars stretch a long way and let these organizations buy exactly what is short:

• FIDO Indy (for pets): fidoindy.org/pet-food-pantry

• Humane Society for Hamilton County: hamiltonhumane.com/how-to-help/donate

• Hamilton County Community Foundation: hamiltoncountycf.org

• The Indianapolis Foundation: indianapolisfoundation.org/flood

• IndyHumane: indyhumane.org/about/ways-to-give

WHAT TO DONATE

Not sure what to donate? If you are pulling a box together, here is what is needed most:

• Dog food

• Cat food

• Cat litter

• Crates

• Socks

• Diapers

• Feminine hygiene products

• Toiletries (toothbrushes, soaps, and the like)

• Clothing

• Blankets

• Cleaning supplies, including mops and trash bags

• Your time! This is the single biggest donation you can make

I photograph dogs for a living because I believe that the ordinary days with our best friends are worth remembering. They are worth capturing. They matter. This week has been a hard reminder that those ordinary days can change overnight.

So if you are safe and dry, go hug your dog a little longer today. And if you have anything to spare, a bag of food, an afternoon, twenty dollars, send it toward the families who are not dry tonight. Their dogs and cats are family too, and Central Indiana has always been the kind of place that shows up.

We take care of each other around here. Sending the biggest of hugs to all of you and extra ear scratches to your puppies. Amy