HAITI hit by 7.0 earthquake - what can we do?

pitu

Poor Haiti can't catch a break - hurricanes, major earthquake...
there's many many folks from Haiti here in Brooklyn - any thoughts for relief efforts?

On Twitter, I see Wyclef Jean:
RT @wyclef: Help Haiti Earthquake Relief Donate $5 by texting YELE to 501 501

Via @mgive:
Give through your phone - text "HAITI" to "90999" to give $10 directly to the Red Cross to help disaster relief.

Lambi Fund of Haiti http://www.lambifund.org/
https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/LambiFundofHaiti_1/OnlineGiving.html
Fund of Haiti PO Box 18955 Washington, DC 20036 US: 202-833-3713

The State Department has a phone number for Americans seeking info about family in Haiti: 1-888-407-4747.

pitu

MADRE has a good track record and history in Haiti with a women's clinic and microloans....
http://www.madre.org/index/meet-madre-1/our-partners-6/haiti-kofaviv-36.html

voodoonyc

Pitu: I went to Haiti on a relief effort when I was a freshman in high school. Thank you for this - I am also searching for any way to help and will let you all know what I find. This is just devastating.

pitu

Super easy to donate your coffee$ this am - I did!
Help Haiti Earthquake Relief:
Donate $5 by texting YELE to 501501 
http://yele.org

(it gets added to your cell phone bill)

youbetcha

I find that it's best to give, give to a more efficient organization. Oxfam America is such an organization, The others OK but you get more going to the relief than to other costs. And you can opt out of them selling your addresses

http://www.oxfamamerica.org/

pitu

Yes, agreed that you want to donate to orgs you know and trust - and since so many are already in Haiti and have experience, your choices are good.

I love the rapid response of many giving a little via the cell phone donations (Red Cross and Wyclef's YELE) but who knows what the carrier cut is...so donate via the web if you can

Good list with links and info at HuffPo
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/12/haiti-earthquake-relief-h_n_421014.html

voodoonyc

Another good list of links from the Times:

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/haiti-disaster-relief-how-to-contribute/

Doctors Without Borders is another organization already on the ground in Haiti. Port au Prince has been virtually destroyed and there are possibly hundreds of thousands dead. Help if you can.

deedee

I agree with Voodoo NYC I think it's best to give to organizations that already have some boots on the ground because the relief will reach people faster. I am going to send a contribution to Doctors Without Borders.

rachel rae

Just passing this info along for my friends at The Pieces Boutique on Park Place and Vanderbilt.


PRESS RELEASE
Jan 2010

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Latisha Daring
Pieces Boutique
[email protected]
HAITI RELIEF @ PIECES

The Country of Haiti has undergone tremendous tragedy and desperately needs our support, prayers and donations. Starting today you can drop off clothing, canned goods or monetary donations for Yele Haiti. If these world tragedies teach us anything it is to care for one another.



Yele Haiti Organization

Changing thousands of lives in this desperately poor but optimistic nation.
Yéle Haiti uses music, sports and the media to reinforce projects that are making a difference in education, health, environment and community development.

"The objective of Yéle Haiti is to restore pride and a reason to hope, and for the whole country to regain the deep spirit and strength that is part of our heritage."
- Wyclef Jean

stacey

Thanks Rachal

While I respect what the Red Cross does, they can dispense the money they receive from donations as they see fit. I would much rather a way to donate to Haiti specifically and this seems to do the trick. Thanks again.

MOD

The Hati airport is inoperable, not because the runway is destroyed, but because the actual airport towers that run the system crumbled to the ground :shock:

sterlinglady

Subject: Aid for Haita

American Jewish World Service has long worked with several NGO partners on the ground in Haiti, and they are now accepting donations for an emergency relief fund:

http://ajws.org/who_we_are/news/archives/press_releases/ajws_to_assist_victims_of_the_haiti_earthquake.html

pitu

Here's what I keep thinking about: When we were hit with tragedy on 9/11, we still had running potable water and an abundance of infrastructure. I am profoundly grateful to have something to give.

Doctors Without Borders and Doctors of the World and Oxfam are all good.

Groups you might not have heard of that have a solid presence and history in Haiti:

Partners In Health http://bit.ly/5nDENn

The Lambi Fund of Haiti
http://www.lambifund.org

And...here's my plan for your beer money tonite:

TEXT "HAITI" to 25383 to donate $5 to help the International Rescue Committee's work in Haiti.

TEXT "YELE" to 501501 to donate $5 to Wyclef's Help Haiti Earthquake Relief http://yele.org

iheartbkny

In aid of Haiti….We are helping The Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce Inc. (CACCI) by collecting bottled waters, emergency medical supplies and non perishable foods. Flatbush Caton Market 814 Flatbush Avenue and Super Wings NY 1218 Union St.(Off Nostrand) to serve as drop off points. PLEASE LEND A HAND !

daveon8th

IheartBKNY wrote: In aid of Haiti….We are helping The Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce Inc. (CACCI) by collecting bottled waters, emergency medical supplies and non perishable foods. Flatbush Caton Market 814 Flatbush Avenue and Super Wings NY 1218 Union St.(Off Nostrand) to serve as drop off points. PLEASE LEND A HAND !

I'm sure your heart is in the right place but please just give money. The costs of transporting these types of goods is too high.

randy01

I like to see celebs doing good. George Clooney hosting telethon next Friday. Brad + Angelina = $1M personal donation.

Walmart? $500k.

I'm looking at YOU, WalMart. Cough it up!

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b162075_george_clooney_recruiting_hollywood.html

voodoonyc

A good article on choosing a charity - a lot of it is common sense, but I still found it helpful.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=1004

torisoaw

Daveon8th wrote: I'm sure your heart is in the right place but please just give money. The costs of transporting these types of goods is too high.

Not only that, but if past disasters are any indication, in a place that's already chaotic, the time and effort it takes to sort goods is counterproductive, and it just piles up. So in the end, sadly, it can actually do more harm than good.

So yes, just send money.

rachel rae

Subject: Erik Parker "The Parker Report" Amazing young Jour

Check The Parker Report out!

A great young journalist is reporting live from Haiti with heart wrenching images that will shake you to make sure you get up and take action to help!!!

http://twitpic.com/photos/theparkerreport

FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER to follow his journey and click the link for Haiti through his eyes.

union street

I tried to look for organizations focused on medicine and food that were mobilizing quickly (not just talking about mobilizing), already had existing connections inside Haiti, and who made it easy to donate online. I ended up spreading around donations to the following...

- Doctors Without Borders
http://doctorswithoutborders.org

- Partners in Health
http://www.pih.org

- Direct Relief International
http://www.directrelief.org

- Food for the Poor
http://www.foodforthepoor.org/newsroom/news/earthquake-in-haiti-1.html

- American Jewish World Service
http://ajws.org/

- Action Against Hunger
http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/pressroom/releases/2010/01/13

jaha127

Subject: MLK Day of Service (Sewing for Haiti)

Through word of mouth and the media, I am learned all the ways I can donate money and supplies to the relief aid. But, I was curious if I could do more…

Well, in BedStuy on Monday Jan 18th fittingly Martin Luther King Day, Sue Rock Originals Design Studio is hosting a volunteer event where you can learn to sew wrap skirts for women and children in Haiti who no longer have anything. It’s something small I know, but every bit helps…


Details:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/communityservice/gpcdl9


SUE ROCK CREATES FOR HAITIAN SURVIVORS

WE ARE CALLING FOR ALL THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN DIRECT SUPPORT FOR HAITIAN SURVIVORS TO COME:


MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY

MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2010
11:00AM - 6:00PM



SUE ROCK ORIGINALS DESIGN STUDIO

1069 BERGEN STREET
Between Nostrand and Rogers Avenues
Brooklyn, New York, 11216


VOLUNTEERS WILL LEARN TO SEW TO CREATE WRAP SKIRTS FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN DEVASTATED BY THE EARTHQUAKE.
COME AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

VOLUNTEERS WHO CAN SEW, CUT, FOLD FABRIC, PACK BOXES AND ENJOY WORKING TOGETHER SHOULD COME TO OUR STUDIO!

A little about the studio-- Sue Rock Originals Everyone is a domestic violence service organization which provides handcrafted clothing and accessories to women who have left violent situations. For over five years we have worked in the Domestic Violence community providing clothing and accessories to residences throughout New York City.


I myself don’t know how to use a sewing machine, but I can use a scissor, and can definitely pack boxes so don’t let inexperience keep you from volunteering…

eggcream

The Red Cross has received a lot from their texting campaign:

Mobile texting donations to Red Cross for Haiti now tops $8 million

The American Red Cross now says it has received $5 million through mobile giving by texting.

Readers: Please note that the figures are constantly changing. We will update at the bottom of this post with most current info and periodically change the map. But there will be times when the two are not in sync. You can also go directly to the map by clicking here.

Clearly, the states with bigger populations are contributing a larger percentage of the total.

As of early today, California led the pack with 16%, New York was second at 11.5% followed by Florida at 7.6% and Texas at 6.4%.

You can give $10 to the Red Cross by texting the word "HAITI" to 90999 or give $5 to the United Way by texting "Haiti" to 864833.

Update at 9:27 a.m. ET: The Red Cross now says the total is over $8 million."

I'd like it better if Clooney and other celebrities stayed home and just wrote a check instead. As if Americans need or want celebrities, who make millions, telling them to donate. Angelina and Brad have the right idea.

the chipster

great info! thanks everyone! umm..hate to snark on this thread, but really, sewing a fkn skirt? are you kidding me?!! it's costly to bring clothes there, and park slope has plenty of already made clothing to send. there will be donation drives at your local stores this week.
thanks for your research union st. and pitu!!

eggcream

The Chipster wrote: great info! thanks everyone! umm..hate to snark on this thread, but really, sewing a fkn skirt? are you kidding me?!! it's costly to bring clothes there, and park slope has plenty of already made clothing to send. there will be donation drives at your local stores this week.
thanks for your research union st. and pitu!!

Not only that it's too ridiculously time consuming. Action is needed now not after teaching people to sew. Men are also in need.

sweet tea

i get the argument about donating money rather than objects, but i'm curious to know whether there even is a supply of clothing (for instance) available to buy in haiti at present. if not, then clothing needs to come from somewhere.

sewing skillz PSA: skirts have the advantage of being the easiest kind of clothing to sew, not that actual sewing is the most time-consuming part of making a garment. i'm sure there will be people who can sew a straight seam (or be taught in 10 minutes).

tsarina

dear Chipster. sometimes it is hard to find out what the very best thing to do is especially immediately. Sue Rock is a fabulous person with her heart in the right place. She has her space and is set up to do that. AND she is doing that to help people. It may not be like giving water to a thirsty person buried in rubble, but food, water, shelter, clothing are all essential. There will be plenty of interim donations of cheap generic clothing from Park Slope and other places, and then there will be the lovingly crafted clothes that come from Sue Rocks project from people who care and are working together to do something. I;m sure that whomever receives that clothing will feel the love that comes with it. Each in his own way. dont be so quick to judge.

femmedada

Thank you to Voodoo, Union Street and everyone else.

Voodoo is right about Charity Navigator. It's an easy way to find out how much of any charitable donation actually goes to the cause and how much is spent on fund raising and administrative expenses. After I read about people dying while waiting for medical attention I donated $200 to Doctors Without Borders. That is a lot of money for me to be able to pull out of a tight budget--more than I have in my bank account and so I had to use a credit card instead of doing a money transfer to Doctors Without Borders.

Oxfam is another group with a low expense ratio.

I hope that everyone will contribute something, and fast. Time is really of the essence in Haiti.

As soon as I can drag my 12-year-old out of bed, she'll be making a donation, too. A lot? No. Still, I know that she will feel good about herself for having helped. Getting one's children involved in the rescue effort has a silver lining--albeit, one that that no one would relish--it teaches personal empowerment and reinforces the conviction that no one is left unhurt when our world sustains such a magnitude of human loss.

femmedada

What Flexichick says: Cough it up, Walmart!

whynot_31

VoodooNYC wrote: A good article on choosing a charity - a lot of it is common sense, but I still found it helpful.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=1004

or,
http://www2.guidestar.org/rxg/give-to-charity/haitian-relief-efforts.aspx

pitu

Lots of folks here donate their books and old clothes to Housing Works.

I just read about Housing Works going to Haiti with $30,000 of medical supplies and two doctors from the organization. HW's medical director is Haitian, so she, her husband and cousin, and HW's CEO got things together fast. There is a big chance that she's lost her parents to the quake, making this particularly gut-wrenching. HW's Charles King is blogging their trip:
http://www.housingworks.org/blogs/detail/charles-king-blog-stop-over-in-dominican-republic/+

You can donate to their Haiti relief work here:
http://www.shophousingworks.com/donations.cfm?campaignid=70180000000Om7x

I've also donated to

- Partners in Health
http://www.pih.org

- Doctors Without Borders
http://doctorswithoutborders.org

Every little bit helps.

iheartbkny

My earlier post was based on organizational first hand information. Preparations are being made to send goods down. I'm sure the Logistics are being worked out by the decision makers.