Help for the Hatians - donate now! Every little bit helps!

Here is a message written by a dear friend of mine. She is doing her PhD on the Hatian government and situation and is quite close to the country and the people there. I visited her in Port Au Prince a couple years ago for a week. As someone who has seen varying degrees of international poverty, including India and Tanzania, I was truly surprised and saddened by the "normal" situation in Haiti. My heart hurts for their current situation. Please read the message below and help in whatever way you can. Feel free to also pass along or "borrow" the note and links to forward to others. I have added in a couple additional sites to those she sent me.

We are citizens of the world! Don't let the relative calm bubble surrounding us here keep you from helping your brothers and sisters in Haiti who are hurt, scared, homeless, hungry and truly in despiration! Remember, even the smallest donations, if made by each of us, add up quickly and will help save lives.

Dear all,

By now, I suspect that most of you have heard about Haiti's being hit by a 7.0 (magnitude) earthquake yesterday afternoon.

You can get the latest reports at:

CNN

BBC

New York Times

  

As some of you know, I lived and worked in Haiti for most of 2008.

Under 'normal' circumstances, the level of need is persistently high and in the wake of this natural disaster, I cannot begin to explain the nature and extent of the consequences.

Not having done initial assessments of the impact, most relief organizations have not yet planned their medium-term response; for the moment trained emergency first responders are needed to administer medical and humanitarian aid.

Since many of us do not fit that bill, let us do what we can in the short-term. Let us donate.

Please see a list below of the many organizations who are seeking donations as they either collaborate with other organizations or construct their own response efforts. Each has a hyperlink, so just click on the organization's name and it will take you to a website where you can donate.

• Habitat for Humanity  
• Haiti Partners
• International Medical Corps
•  Direct Relief International
•  World Vision
• International Relief Teams
• Yéle Haiti
• American Red Cross
• Operation USA
• CARE
• Catholic Relief Services
•  World Food Programme
• World Concern
• Save the Children
• UNICEF USA
• Mercy Corps
• Operation Blessing International
• Shelterbox

• Americares
• Doctors Without Borders
• Medical Teams International
• International Committee of the Red Cross
• The Salvation Army
• Heifer International

 

Please choose the organization you trust the most and give as much as you can.

For those of you who wish to give of your time and energy, I will be vigilantly keeping up with the efforts and working on ways that we can volunteer in the medium-term.

If you are yet to make Spring Break plans, this may be among the best uses of your time and money.

 Until then, let us give as best we can and keep on praying for the people of Haiti.

Thank you,

Sheree

Emily and Sheree in Haiti 3/2008