Fill the Needs

10/10/2026

Our team is actively responding to Hurricane Isaias. We are partnering with several groups to get supplies into impacted areas in the next 24hours. More details to come!!

You can support our efforts at

FILL THE NEEDS What began as a community of coordinated volunteers responding to flooding in Cedar Rapids Iowa in 2008 and Southeast Louisiana in 2016 launched into Fill the Needs in 2022. We rapidly deploy our network and resources in the first fourteen days following a disaster. DONATE NOW Learn M...

10/07/2026

A message from Amy-

Today was my kind of day. Total organized chaos, an ever-changing plan, and a bunch of volunteers united in helping others and making a difference in our community.

Thank you Øyvind Solås, Sheri Myers, Julie K. Ariyamath, Sophina Uong and many many more. And thanks to my hubby for the use of his fancy SUV since Fill the Needs still doesn’t have the heavy duty truck we need 😉❤️.

And sorry honey we will get all the spilled rice, sugar and flour out tomorrow I promise. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

In total we estimate about 12 pallets were transported and distributed into the community.

It takes an absolute village of caring people to do this work, and it would not happen without the volunteers who say yes on a moment’s notice.

It was a good day! The only thing that would make it better would be our own Fill the Needs truck. Donate www.filltheneeds.org. 🤣 (I had to yall)

And seriously thank you to today’s amazing team!!!!

07/08/2026

A few weeks ago, Fill the Needs asked for help finding dehumidifiers for families in Central Louisiana who were trying to dry out and rebuild after the flooding.

I never expected the call we got from HopeMill in North Carolina.

After all they have been through in Western North Carolina since Hurricane Helene, they still looked at another community in need and said, “We can help.”

They shipped dehumidifiers to Simmesport, Louisiana, and they are already making a difference.

The family in this photo had been waiting for a dehumidifier that was being used by another family. They were going to have to wait until that home was dry before they could start drying theirs.

Because of HopeMill, they don’t have to wait anymore.

That may sound simple, but in disaster recovery, time matters. Every day a home stays wet means more damage, more mold, more stress, and more families wondering how they are going to move forward.

HopeMill, thank you for paying it forward in such a real and meaningful way. You reminded us that disaster work is not about one town, one state, or one storm. It is about people showing up for people.

We are forever grateful!
**Also a big thank you to Police Chief Damien Jacobs, Ron with and all of the incredible volunteers who helped to gut, muck and distribute these dehumidifiers.

07/03/2026

***UPDATE- Gift cards to assist us in this mission can be purchased online here- https://www.shell.us/rewards-and-savings/shell-gift-card.html
***

A message from Amy-

Kentucky has been hit by flash flooding, and many people may not know it is happening.

Roads have washed out. Homes have flooded. Debris is everywhere and families are trying to figure out where to even begin.

And you know what is happening now, and happens time and time again during each disaster? Everyday people are showing up with what they have and helping where they can.

Right now, there is a volunteer in Kentucky who showed up with his own heavy equipment and got to work.

He brought his excavator and is clearing roads, assisting homeowners, moving debris, and helping pull out what the floodwaters left behind. He is doing what needs to be done so families can start healing and recovering.

And it is expensive. But he is still out there helping, every day.

A large excavator can burn through up to $40 in fuel every hour or two, and this volunteer is paying that cost himself while helping people in the community.

Fill the Needs is raising funds to help offset fuel costs so he can keep going.

If you are able, please send Shell e-gift cards to:

[email protected]

Help us in our mission to find the doers, listen for the real needs, and help keep the work moving. Every gift card can keep the heavy equipment moving for families to start fresh.

06/29/2026

Our Network in Action: PCCR

When we made the call for help, our partners at Plain Compassion Crisis Response were one of the first teams to put boots on the ground and get to work in Central Louisiana.

They are in the community right now gutting and mucking homes, helping homeowners begin the hard first steps of recovery, and building a home base so their volunteer teams can keep showing up where they are needed most.

It was clear they would need a lot of supplies, so we made a call to our friend Linda — and she helped secure three pallets quickly. Thanks to the generous donation from our partners at New Life Missions, Tyvek suits, PPE, boot covers, gutting and mucking supplies, and mattresses for volunteer teams arrived today.

Fill the Needs is committed to disaster response.

We build networks.We find the doers. We listen for the real needs. We connect the right people, supplies, and resources quickly — so the work can keep moving.

Your donation helps us keep this network going and allows us to respond quickly when trusted partners on the ground need support.

Donate to Fill the Needs: www.filltheneeds.org

06/29/2026

We just got the call from our amazing partner Mr. Duncan- 31 rolls of new carpet will be loaded up and enroute to Plaucheville and Simmesport next week. We estimate about 1200 square feet per roll--- THAT IS A LOT OF COZY FLOORING

We have four organizations scheduled to receive them and get them to families and local churches who are rebuilding. Thank you to the generous donor who made this happen; and thank you to the volunteers helping with transport.

You can donate to www.filltheneeds.org

06/29/2026

We are actively working 3 missions right now. Good things are happening thanks to partner collaboration around the world!!! Please support our efforts, your donations keep us going.
www.filltheneeds.org

06/28/2026

It was an honor to lead this mission in Simmesport, LA! These supplies went out to the community immediately upon arrival thanks to our amazing ground partners. Big thank you to everyone who helped make it happen.

06/26/2026

Our team is actively monitoring the situation in Venezuela and while teams are evaluating the needs on the ground, we are providing behind the scenes support to our partners. As we find out more about which of our partners are deploying and how we can help, we will post here.

As this is an international mission, visas and logistics are complicated and we are ready to support our partners navigate the process.
Chazak Rescue, Beacon Rescue, Grey Bull Rescue

06/23/2026

A message from Amy-

The last few days have been exactly what disaster response usually is, an exhausting chaotic mess.

My life is full of screenshots. Phone calls with constant beeping from text threads. Voice notes and about 5 messaging platforms all open at the same time.

Then I find out that somebody’s cousin knows the fire chief. There is a church that wants to help but they've never done disaster response. A town hall is out of space and supplies and people are overflowing into a parking lot. Oh and a semi truck just arrived to a drop-off point with no manifest, point of contact or details and the drop off point wasn't expecting it and doesn't have a forklift.

That is the wrangling that consumes hours of my day before we can get the first supply into the hands of people who need it.

Fill the Needs has been tracking the flooding impacts from Tropical Storm Arthur in Central Louisiana, and it has been a lot of behind the scenes coordination.

This effort like so many requires considering the hard choice of delaying a shipment for a few days so that the supplies in it don't flood with the next round of water on its way.

Someone asked how I keep track of everything happening. I joked saying that my head is full of sticky notes constantly moving with "if this, then that" scenarios. Because in disaster response everything is constantly changing.

The more information we have, the better we can manage the changes. Today I told a police chief and a pastor "I'm sorry I'm asking so many questions, but the answers can completely change what we send, where it goes and when it arrives.

The details matter and I've been caught up in millions of them. We are now in that stretch of "push through" and tomorrow is a new day-- tomorrow we will begin to see the results of all of these efforts that have been in motion for days.

Big thank you to all the people sending those helpful text messages, screenshots, phone calls and voice notes that are making a difference--- the results of the connections you helped us make are about to show.

If you can find it in your wallet and your heart to help keep this going- please take the time to donate to www.filltheneeds.org.

This is our first storm of the season and something that seemed so small is requiring significant resources. Please help us keep going!

Donation Link-
https://checkout.square.site/merchant/MLPE69BAP1YAY/checkout/FTCH5MNCDYST7ZN5D42N6E6J

Big hugs and thank you.
Chef Amy Sins
Director of Fill the Needs

PS- Photo credit to Ms. Anita Mayeaux. She is a rockstar volunteer changing lives in Simmesport, LA. And second photo shared by Pastor John Riddle in Mansura, LA