We like to support those who are, like us, a little off the beaten path.

Yes, you could help the victims of Hurricane Harvey through the Red Cross or United Way but in our personal experience, a lot of what you give to those types of agencies will be spun off to cover overhead that might or might not be essential.

Long weeks after Hurricane Matthew turned my community upside down, Red Cross trucks finally appeared on neighborhood streets offering sandwiches and snacks. Of course by the time they showed up, most of us not only had our water, power, and even wi-fi back, but we were more than capable of visiting one of our many, by then, fully functioning grocery stores.

There is no question that we all must do everything we are personally able to do to help those devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Here are two agencies that offer help that’s a little outside the obvious, but still very needed.

SBP: Originally begun in response to Hurricane Katrina, SBP (which stood for St. Bernard Parrish) evolved into an organization that seeks to “shrink the time between disaster and recovery.” (See note about those Red Cross sandwiches above.) From what is now years of experience aiding those hit by disaster, this group knows exactly how to cut through the layers of wasted effort and time to help people become whole again — faster.

Austin Pets Alive! If you’re an animal lover, you are worrying about the thousands or even millions of pets separated from their owners, possibly forever, by the storm and flood. This no-kill adoption group is currently flush with donations of pet food and supplies but needs money to expand its space and coordinate desperately needed foster and permanent homes.

Do you know of an organization that is highly functioning and helpful? Please leave the contact info in a comment and in the meantime, consider these two as a starting point to help those affected by Harvey get their lives back as soon as possible.