The Haiti Tragedy

[MidnightCowboy]

As we all sit down to another evening of torrents, scans and speed tests, yet another perhaps timely reminder that what we have under control is tiny compared to what Mother Nature is capable of.

With possibly 100,00 dead after the earthquake in Haiti my thoughts and prayers are with the those now trying to recover their own lives and pick up the pieces of others.

[wdhpr]

Prayers are fine. Wonder how many countries will help as much as the evil USA. Right HUGO!

[Jojoyee]

Two years away from "2012".

Originally Posted by MidnightCowboy

As we all sit down to another evening of torrents, scans and speed tests, yet another perhaps timely reminder that what we have under control is tiny compared to what Mother Nature is capable of.

With possibly 100,00 dead after the earthquake in Haiti my thoughts and prayers are with the those now trying to recover their own lives and pick up the pieces of others.

I join with MC in sending my prayers to those impacted by this terrible tragedy and I'm sure they will be in the thoughts of others across the World.

With these natural disasters it is the major countries that are supposed to take the lead by showing what can be done (or so we're told.) Remember the flooding in New Orleans? It took FEME five days to get water to the Super Dome so what is likely to become of these unfortunate people?

[wdhpr]

With these natural disasters it is the major countries that are supposed to take the lead by showing what can be done (or so we're told.) Remember the flooding in New Orleans? It took FEME five days to get water to the Super Dome so what is likely to become of these unfortunate people?

I was referring to those such as Hugo Chavez who like to criticize democratic countries.
But how European of you. Fact is the governor declined help in that specific area for five days. The mayor did not follow evacuation advice. Then there are people who think they can just weather out the storm. FEME was extremely busy in other areas that were effected. But those will believe what they choose. Mistakes were made. Hopefully we learned from them.
By the way earthquakes are a very different animal.

My point is. Its one thing to criticize one country or another. Its another to put a glove on and get in the game to actually help during crunch time.
Everyone can help by getting out their check books. Choose who you give money to carefully. By the way "everyone" is global.


There are estimates that up to 500,000 souls have Perished. For them our prayers go out. But I also pray we have enough help on the ground as soon as possible to save the living.

[wdhpr]

Countries so far with gloves on and with planes on the ground. For sure there are many more that have yet to be named.

Brazil, Canada and France.
Tens of millions in money donations from the European union and others. A great compliment to well wishes from around the world.

PS: I apologize for the previous comment. Chavez just gets under my skin sometimes.

[Rizar]

I started a list of charities related to Haiti relief in the comments here:
http://www.techsupportalert.com/cont...technology.htm

If you know of any others, you can list them here or there.

[Dogpile]

In light of the terrible tragedy in Haiti I can't believe that Pat Robertson said Haiti basically asked for something bad to happen as the made " a deal with the devil" for their independence. How do nuts like this get airtime? Then they ask for money that I'm so sure will make it to Haiti and the people in need.

Not to mention the hundreds of scams popping up on the net.

The low-lifes of all stripes and colors need to be stoned (in the biblical sense)

I'd donate but where is a safe place to donate where you know 100% of the money is actually going to help those people?

[Rizar]

The article I posted above has many tools to find such charities. One of the best ways to give with confidence and efficiency is to focus on charities rated highly by the Charity Navigator or similar service. Charity Navigator rates charities on the principle that charities should spend on their cause with little administrative or other overhead. http://www.charitynavigator.org/inde...view&cpid=1004

In addition to the larger efforts of the American Red Cross, the smaller "safe" 4-star charities (as rated by Charity Navigator) that look interesting to me (just as examples) are Doctors without Borders (treating people on the ground currently), CARE (will be distributing food with the UN; 100 strong staff), and Save the Children (regularly strong Haiti presence with its 100 member staff to provide food & water and safe places for both kids and other charity organizations). But many others look good too.

Though some charities are excellent and require some administrative costs and advertisement money. For example, the American Red Cross gets a 3/4 star rating, but it's one of the biggest charities in the region and one that we know is in Haiti distributing aid.

Jesse Lee, the Online Programs Director at the White House, posted a blog on charity options, emphasizing the American Red Cross, CIDI, and a phone number at the State Department for family members. The US State Department blog emphasizes similar options along with Mercy Corp.

For example, the American Red Cross (ARC) has thousands on the ground:

The ARC is sending tarps, hygiene items and cooking sets for approximately 5,000 families and is helping the injured who may need blood. Thousands of local Red Cross volunteers are already aiding their fellow Haitians and ARC Disaster management specialists are scheduled to be on the ground soon. (Charity Navigator)

I saw on TV that the United Nations are playing a big role, so although I can't provide a star rating, the World Food Programme is one to take a look at just because you can see them right on TV doing their work. They also have a FreeRice game and figure largely in my article (just click on the Red Cup picture to get to their site).

The US Military is definitely there handing out water and MREs too, but you can't donate to them as far as I know! Of course, the administrative overhead would be beyond huge! But an alternative would be to send a care package to soldiers over there. From experience, I know they would like it!

I posted this at the end of my article:

Haiti Charity Relief: Help Earthquake Victims

1. Charity Navigator: Help the Victims of the Haiti Earthquake

• Lists 3 or 4 star charities related to disaster relief in Haiti, as rated by the Charity Navigator. See the table on the right. It also provides two informational articles on avoiding scams and tips for giving during times of crisis. I highly recommend Charity Navigator as it's a well respected source and is often cited by charity organizations on their websites.

2. American Institute of Philanthropy: The Best Way to Support Relief Efforts in the Aftermath of Haiti's Earthquake

• Another excellent charity rating site. To make the list, a charity must "spend at least 75% of its budget on program services" and "spend no more than $25 to raise $100". It also gives tips to avoid scams at the bottom.

3. VolunteerMatch: VolunteerMatch Disaster Alert Center

• I know many people don't have money available. Some people are out of work or way in debt, so here are some volunteering opportunities. VolunteerMatch has an alert on its website, advertising opportunities in the American Red Cross. You can also use the map or search engine to find a volunteer area of interest.

4. Idealist.org: Haiti Earthquake Response

• Idealist.org has a brief article with additional links and news sites to see what's going on with disaster relief. The CNN link goes to a huge mega list of suggestions. And the link to NPR's article emphasizes the Red Cross and Mercy Corps. But you could use the Charity Navigator or other more selective lists to see if you are interested in any of the various charities on the
  CNN/FOX/CBS/ABC lists.

5. Forbes: How To Spot Dubious Haiti Charity Pleas

• Another safety oriented source. It provides a link to its list of the top 200 charities and it notes three sources to check for the validity of charities: BBB Wise Giving Allience, Charity Navigator, and Guide Star. It also provides a few safety tips to avoid scams.

6. NonProfit Times: Getting Relief To Quake-Stricken Haiti Is Perilous For Charities

• An investigative article (from NonProfit Times) that gives extra details on the problems in Haiti, and discusses several charity efforts. I noticed that two charities it mentions are also on the Charity Navigator list: CARE and Direct Relief International. Some of the other charities in the article are on the AIP list (see link 2).

[wdhpr]

Hi Rizar

Great job on this important topic.

I wonder if a thread could be created named Haiti relief or something to that effect?

Cheers
Wdhpr