Lilly Gonzales, 9, watched the news on Monday night with her mother on her birthday. The images from the devastation in Houston left behind by Harvey shocked her.
RELATED: More Harvey coverage | Photos | Donate to victims
“She said to me: ‘Mommy, we have to do something. That’s what I want for my birthday,” Denise Gonzales, Lilly’s mother said.
The next morning Gonzales asked the principal of Lilly’s school if the school could organize something.
“He was immediately on board,” Gonzales said.
Bridgeprep Academy in Delray opened just four weeks ago.
"Were a brand new facility and we have lots of space ,” Principal Paul Sirota said.
The school is accepting donations from anyone in the community. They’re looking for items such as clothing, diapers, baby formula, cases of water and blankets.
Organizers will move the donations to the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches where it will be delivered to Houston.
The ballpark accepts donations Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. until Sep. 6
"We're looking forward to doing what we can to help,” Sirota said.
Starting tomorrow @BPPalmBeaches is accepting donations to support Hurricane Harvey victims. M-F 9am - 6pm. Sat 9am - 1pm.@astros@Nationalspic.twitter.com/iV9OtvvFQy
— BallparkPalmBeaches (@BPPalmBeaches) August 28, 2017
At the Red Cross center in West Palm Beach the phones are ringing off the hook.
“People want to know how they can help,” Joanne Nowlin, regional chief executive officer with the American Red Cross said. “We’re having a great response. Right now, we need funds. Financial contributions are the way that we can access them as quickly as possible and get them were we need them the most.”
To donate $10 you can text HARVEY to 90999.
In Lake Park, Whitney Wiseman was also looking for ways how to help those impacted by Harvey. He asked the community to bring items to his office RFI at 1414 10th St.
“We’re working with some locals in Houston as well as we’re also reaching out to the government because we’re getting more of a turnout than we were expecting,” Wiseman said. “At that point from there we’ll go to some churches and some people we know will get the supplies to people that actually need it.”
The response has been overwhelming.
“There’s been a constant stream of people all day,” Wiseman said.
One of them was Marlene Preuss who has survived a similar disaster in her home country of Brazil in the 1970s.
“I cannot explain the feeling,” Preuss said. “When you see your house with water to the roof and you lose everything. My God. I wish I had more to donate.”
