Greater Good Charities: Prepared for Disaster When Winter Storms Strike

Is a snowstorm a natural disaster? Yes—and its effects can be just as catastrophic as hurricanes or wildfires. Winter storms bring more than snow. Ice, wind, and bitter cold can cut off power, food, and shelter—putting vulnerable people and animals at serious risk.

Greater Good Charities stands ready to respond. With expert disaster relief capabilities, we act swiftly and stay committed long after headlines fade—because rebuilding takes time.

Winter Storm Disaster Relief: Why It Matters

Winter storms are natural disasters that strike with force and unpredictability. Heavy snow, ice, and plunging temperatures can shut down communities, damage homes and shelters, and cause dangerous conditions for people and animals alike.

These events often leave families without heat or power, disrupt food supply chains, and overwhelm animal shelters. The needs grow rapidly—and so does our response.

Disaster Relief Expertise 

Greater Good Charities has delivered more than $108 million in disaster response aid since 2017. Our team of disaster relief professionals monitors global weather events year-round, prepositions supplies, and deploys assistance when needed most.

Our approach includes:

• Winter storms disaster consulting and logistics
  Our teams assess regional needs and coordinate with trusted partners to deliver aid efficiently and effectively.

• Winter storm grants and supply distribution
  We fund urgent and long-term response efforts and deliver critical aid—from food and hygiene products to pet supplies and emergency equipment.

• Field-tested infrastructure
  With strategically located warehouses and a trained response team, we move fast to reach communities in crisis—often within hours.

What Does Our Disaster Relief Look Like?

Preparedness: We pre-position supplies in disaster-prone areas, educate partners on readiness, and stay in close communication with communities to anticipate needs.

Response: We deliver urgent support—food, water, blankets, hygiene kits, and pet care supplies—when storms hit.

Recovery: We stay committed for the long term, supporting families and shelters as they rebuild.

Past Disaster Relief Efforts 

• Snowstorm and Winter Weather Aid: When severe cold swept across the central U.S., we mobilized quickly—delivering emergency relief to shelters and families cut off by snow and ice. Our pre-positioned inventory helped reach remote areas where traditional aid had not yet arrived.
  
  

• Los Angeles Wildfires: We deployed within two hours, moving more than 1 million pounds of aid—including 4.8 million pet meals, hygiene kits, and medical supplies. We partnered with local organizations to evacuate pets and treat injured wildlife.

• Hurricanes Helene and Milton: Greater Good Charities has mobilized an extensive relief effort across the Southeast. Since the hurricanes, we have dispatched 140 trucks filled with food, water, hygiene products, pet supplies, and more, delivering over $8.7 million worth of essential aid across 5 states, including remote and hard-to-reach areas.

• Ukraine Disaster Relief: Since 2022, Greater Good Charities provided disaster relief to Ukraine. Despite freezing temperatures and ongoing conflict, we are working alongside our partners, delivering millions of meals to families and their hungry pets and building and reinforcing shelters for animals facing the cold, harsh weather. 

• Maui Wildfire: In the wake of the devastation, the Greater Good Charities disaster relief team acted to provide aid to the victims of the Maui wildfires, securing resources, aligning partners, and deploying assistance to people and pets directly impacted. 

• Turkey and Syria Earthquake: A once-in-a-century 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Turkey in the frigid pre-dawn hours of Monday, February 6, 2023. A second quake, which recorded a magnitude of 7.5, struck nine hours later. The tremors toppled thousands of buildings in Turkey and Syria, with a death toll of over 20,000. The Greater Good Charities disaster relief response team immediately supported multiple community partners to identify immediate needs and expedite humanitarian aid to survivors.  

Your Donations Provide Disaster Relief 

When you donate to Greater Good Charities’ Disaster Response, you help communities weather the storm—and rebuild stronger.

Photos © Oro Whitley

Disasters don’t end when the snow melts. Our long-term commitment means we keep showing up—with aid, expertise, and compassion—until families, shelters, and communities are back on their feet.

From food banks to veterinary clinics, from shelter renovations to supply airlifts, our work continues quietly and steadily, led by one principle: amplify the good wherever we’re needed.

Stay Up to Date on Our Disaster Relief Responses 

Stay connected on our disaster relief response and how your donations aid those in crisis.