Hurricane Sandy: How San Francisco Bay Area Residents Can Help

As Hurricane Sandy batters the East Coast, many San Francisco Bay Area residents are looking for ways to help from across the country.

While transportation to the East Coast is still limited--hundreds of flights at San Francisco International Airport have been cancelled--there are still ways to make a difference.

Donating to The Red Cross is a great way to help. President Obama visited a Red Cross location himself on Tuesday where he called the storm, "heartbreaking for the nation." On Monday night, over 3,200 people spent the night at Red Cross shelters in nine states. Click here to see how you can donate to the organization's relief efforts.

Many blood drives in the areas affected by the Sandy have been cancelled, which will likely lead to a shortage of transferrable blood for patients who desperately need it. Giving money to the New York Blood Center is one way to help the region restock its supplies.

A donation to AmeriCares goes to the organization's disaster relief efforts at providing emergency shelters and medical supplies to people affected by the storm.

The Salvation Army is also accepting donations for its Hurricane Sandy operations including the distribution of clean-up kits, first-aid supplies, shower units and badly needed food support. To donate over the phone, just text "STORM" to 80888 to make a $10 donation.

Additionally, San Francisco tech pioneer and Craisglist founder Craig Newmark is personally matching $25,000 in donations from the public through CraigConnects.