A Community of Kind People
What Can We Do for Haiti?
I admit that I am deeply saddened that I cannot help directly when others are suffering. My friends Joe and Jenny are flying to Haiti to launch an effort making and providing ceramic water filters for people who do not have access to clean water. I wish them success and a safe journey home. In the meantime, my finger is twitching to donate money through my cellphone or keyboard. Sure, there are plenty of material things that Haitians need right now, like mattresses and shoes. But the best thing to do right now, at the height of a crisis, is to provide money. Whatever we can afford to give.
High on the list right now is medical care. The RN Response Network of National Nurses United has 7,500 nurse volunteers ready to go to Haiti. But it costs $250 per day to place a nurse in Haiti, so they need money. You can contribute here.
The Red Cross has been hammered by CharityWatch.org for spending as much as a third of the donations they receive on administrative costs. Still, the organization has a great deal of skill and experience in dealing with catastrophic situations like that in Haiti. It takes a certain amount of infrastructure to maintain an organization that can do what they do as well as they do it. In the USA, you can SMS text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts.
Musician Wyclef Jean is also doing what he can to raise money for disaster relief. Wyclef is Haitian born and deeply connected to the culture there. His organization has also come under some scrutiny, but I don't take the criticism too seriously. SMS text “YELE” to 501501 to Donate $5 to Yele Haiti’s Earthquake Relief efforts.
It is going to take years for Haiti to rebuild. Right now, they need emergency relief. Eventually they will need help rebuilding their communities and homes. Make it a point to engage with Haiti through Kiva, through other organizations that you believe in. Keep them in your hearts. Charity begins at home. The world is our home. Never forget that we're all on this ship together so we need to get along and help each other.
High on the list right now is medical care. The RN Response Network of National Nurses United has 7,500 nurse volunteers ready to go to Haiti. But it costs $250 per day to place a nurse in Haiti, so they need money. You can contribute here.
The Red Cross has been hammered by CharityWatch.org for spending as much as a third of the donations they receive on administrative costs. Still, the organization has a great deal of skill and experience in dealing with catastrophic situations like that in Haiti. It takes a certain amount of infrastructure to maintain an organization that can do what they do as well as they do it. In the USA, you can SMS text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts.
Musician Wyclef Jean is also doing what he can to raise money for disaster relief. Wyclef is Haitian born and deeply connected to the culture there. His organization has also come under some scrutiny, but I don't take the criticism too seriously. SMS text “YELE” to 501501 to Donate $5 to Yele Haiti’s Earthquake Relief efforts.
It is going to take years for Haiti to rebuild. Right now, they need emergency relief. Eventually they will need help rebuilding their communities and homes. Make it a point to engage with Haiti through Kiva, through other organizations that you believe in. Keep them in your hearts. Charity begins at home. The world is our home. Never forget that we're all on this ship together so we need to get along and help each other.
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