Though the news out of Haiti is not good news, I'm heartened to see such quick calls to action from those who can offer help. Everywhere I look online, social media is being used for good…and though this is widespread and different, it reminds me of how quickly people react when there's pain and suffering (Maddie, Anissa and Shellie come to mind). From the comfort of our intact home, we can pray. And if you're willing to sacrifice a Starbucks or two, pour out your love instead of pouring in some glorified, over-priced coffee drink, and use your dollars to make a difference.
Trusted organizations are acting quickly to mobilize relief…what I've gathered so far:
Compassion International ~ Can't help it, they're always at the TOP of my list!
- Text "disaster" to 90999 to give $10 to CI's Haiti relief efforts
World Vision
- On the ground and
American Red Cross
- Has released $200,000 1,000,000 so far; you can pledge to the cause
- MSNBC has a , updated as they receive information
- Chris Sacca has .
Feel free to add additional venues in comments and I'll update if you can vouch for their credibility. Thank you.
Remember…just do SOMETHING…cause something is better than NOTHING!
Photo credit: MSNBC
Robin, another organization is New Life for Haiti (http://www.newlifeforhaiti.org). Our pastor is the founder of the grass-roots group. Monies donated for earthquake aid will specifically be used to purchase concrete to help rebuild the homes that have been destroyed. While the area we work in is about 150 miles from Port Au Prince, there is SIGNIFICANT damage and loss of homes in an already poverty-stricken country.
Haiti is on my heart today too.
I donated to Convoy of Hope. They are already on the ground working. http://www.convoyofhope.org/go/headlines/entry/7.0_earthquake_rocks_haiti_convoy_of_hope_is_responding
Partners in Health http://www.pih.org/home.html is good. Folks should look at Charity Navigator and Guidestar before choosing any organization. You don’t want to look only at how reputable the organization is, but their capacity and reach. Lots of small organizations are willing to collect money in the moment, but access and distribution may be a significant hurdle.
Catholic Relief Services http://crs.org/ Right now they’ve adjusted their website to focus on Haiti.
I donated to Partners in Health – very good organization already on the ground with a long track record in Haiti.
Convoy of Hope is my disaster relief organization of choice–they are also faith based. They were actually there already for a child feeding program, and were able to use supplies they had on hand to start an immediate relief effort, but those supplies will be exhuasted and need replenishing almost immediately.