"Were you able to bring your wallet and other important documents when you evacuated? If not, let's make a list of your ID, credit cards, passports, etc., that need to be replaced."

"Can I buy you a new backpack and/or wallet?"

"You'll need to receive mail. P.O. Boxes are pretty affordable. I can help you sign up for one."

"Now that we have a P.O. Box set up, I can help you forward your mail there. It's an online form—easy!"

"Do your pets have a place to stay?"

"Do you have all your pets' food, supplies, and medications? If you don't, I can help you sort that out and get replacements. Also, do you need help walking or caring for your pets?"

"Do you have reliable transportation? Can I help you find bus/subway/train routes? Shall we set up the Lyft or Uber apps on your phone? I can also help you research the best rates for a rental car."

"Do you have a safe place to stay for the next couple of weeks? I'm happy to help you research places to stay."

If you have room in your home to accommodate them, you may want to offer that as an option.

If you do choose to do this:

• Be clear about how long they can stay with you and how much space you have for them and their belongings.

• Inform them of your bedtime and when you wake up in the mornings.

• Know their plan (and backup plan) about where they will go afterward.

• Accept any wear and tear on your house from their stay.

• Be ready to hire a cleaning person after their stay; it removes the stress from both of you about the boundaries in your relationship.

• Be willing to overlook their roommate etiquette during this stressful time.

• Temporarily put your valuables in a safety deposit box so that there are no concerns about theft.

"Do you have a safe place to live longer-term? I can help you research hotels and Airbnbs, ask your friends and family, etc."

"Can I help you find a moving company? Can I help you move your things into storage/transitional housing/short-term housing/longer-term housing? Who else has the physical ability to help you move?"

"Do you have enough to eat? Does the place you're staying have a refrigerator and/or microwave? I can locate food banks if you need assistance. I can ask your friends and family about dropping food off at your door or coordinating DoorDash or Instacart deliveries."

"Let's cancel your subscriptions and subscribe-and-save purchases (Amazon, wine clubs, prepared-meal deliveries, pet-related subscriptions like Chewy, kid-related subscriptions, etc.)"

"Do you have enough toiletries and hygiene items? I can assist you with buying some or sourcing free or low-cost items."

"Have you notified your or your child's school, daycare, sitter, etc.? Will you need them to take a break from any activities? I can be your accountability partner for that or stay on the phone while you do it."

"Let me get you a notebook and a manila envelope so you can take notes and keep all relevant documentation together."

• Keep track of all conversations and progress (dates, phone numbers, persons talked to, summaries, etc.).

• If the home loss is covered by insurance, track extra mileage and additional expenses incurred.

• Keep receipts for the additional expenses in the manila envelope.

"Log in to your homeowner's or renter's insurance website, or call them. I can find their contact info for you and be your accountability partner for that task. Or we can do it together."

"Can you do laundry where you're staying? If not, would you like me to find a place for you to do your laundry? If you need quarters, I can help you with that."

"Can I help you review your credit card and bank statements for all of the recurring expenses you can cancel or pause, such as:

• Internet

• Cable and landline telephone

• Streaming services you won't use

• Power/electricity

• Water

• Natural gas

• Garbage and recycling

• Ring or other smart doorbells or camera subscriptions

• Twitch subscriptions

• Security system monitoring

• Nest, Alexa, or Google Home

"Can I help you research if your mobile phone service provider offers a discount for people in your situation?"

"I can help you forward mail to the more permanent address on the USPS website. "

"Let's notify the IRS of your permanent address change."

"I wanted to remind you to change your address on your auto insurance."

"I wanted to remind you to change your address on your health insurance."

"I can be with you or on the phone with the credit card companies. When you change your address, request a higher credit limit and a lower interest rate."

"Also, would you like me to call your credit card(s) to ask if they are offering assistance to disaster victims in the form of forbearance (skipped payments)?"

"Let me help you find where to change the address for your voter registration." (They don't accept P.O. Boxes.)

"I wanted to remind you to change your address on your bank and investment accounts."

"I can help you locate the website or forms for changing your address on your pets' licenses and/or microchips."

"Let's update address with DMV and order a new ID or driver license. I can help you with the website."

"Let's find a therapist who can support you right now."

"Would you like help in documenting the losses for your insurance claim? It will be a big task that we can break up into smaller pieces. We can start documenting brands of your items and looking at photos you took at your house to remind you of items that were lost. "

"Do you have any upcoming trips or vacations planned that need to be rescheduled or canceled? I can assist you with those logistics."