One thing we know is that the need in Haiti is enormous now and will continue to be so into the foreseeable future. Haiti was the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere when the earthquake struck just before 5:00 p.m. Tuesday. Now it is in desperately worse straits.
There are many ways to contribute; many honorable, effective and efficient organizations are directing resources to Haiti. The Center for International Disaster Information, CIDI says “Americans Should Send Cash Donations to Best Aid Victims of Devastating Earthquake”. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI however, is warning folks to be cautious of scams. I’d suggest using Charity Navigator which provides very good ways to evaluate a charity. Their top rating is “4 Stars”, but each listing contains a wealth of information beyond that brief headline.
Here are some organizations which are accepting contributions to specifically help the people of Haiti:
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (4 Stars)
Partners In Health (4 Stars)
Habitat for Humanity International (4 Stars)
American Jewish World Service (4 Stars)
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (4 Stars)
I am unable to find an on-line reference, but on the radio today, we heard a statistic that the majority of donations will come in within the first six days following a disaster. Haiti will be in need for months, most likely years. So you may wish to consider periodic or ongoing donations to a favorite charity which will be in Haiti for the long haul.
Haiti’s motto is “L'Union Fait La Force”, which translates into “Strength Through Unity” - a phrase we can take inspiration from.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
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3 comments:
We are lucky over here, as we have a single shot government run charity donation system we can use in case of national and international emergencies, that you know goes direct to the source.
Hi Roo -
It sounds very sensible and efficient. Unfortunately, in our current political climate, such a thing would never fly over here.
- Lee
Catching up on my blogging again. This has really been terrible to see, especially now with the second quake having hit them. My heart is constantly with everyone working there to save the trapped victims. Everytime someone is rescued, I breathe a sigh of relief. I can't imagine working under the conditions that are being endured, siting through remains and hanging onto hope. Thanks for sharing these links, I'm on my way to check it out. We have also sent South African troups over to assist, so I must also check for local charities.
Thanks again, Sue XXX
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