After Hurricane Sandy hit the Northeast, many people were eager to donate money, goods and volunteer services to help the people in need. However, sorting through the myriad of organizations that offer help can be a daunting task.
An article in the New York Times discussed how software application companies have been working to fill the need for organized information.
According to George Shank, an interactive software developer who works at a digital advertising agency called Rain Agency, helped build the service Sprout Help. Sprout Help sends information about where to send supplies and how to effectively volunteer.
"A lot of it stemmed from wanting to help but not being sure how to do it," Shank said in the New York Times article. "We heard stories of people going to fire stations to volunteer and being turned away.
Another service called HugoHelps was developed by a Syracuse design agency called Rounded. The app helps disaster victims find places to stay after their homes have been destroyed or their utilities are not working. The app delivers the information via text message for victims without smartphones.
"Data is very difficult during a disaster, and we wanted to make sure people without smartphones could also use it too," said Robert Grazioli from Rounded.
As applications are developed, disaster victims will have more resources to help them through a difficult time.
