This note will be short and sweet.
No need to elaborate on the obvious.
Haiti is in urgent need of our help. As citizens of the world, let us do what we can to help those devastated by this tragedy of catastrophic porportions. Friends are calling friends and I know those who are still trying to find and connect with their loved ones.
Just to get you started, here are a list of charitable organizations that you can contact and donate what you can:
Red Cross
Save The Children
Unicef
World Vision
For our American friends: a phenomenon has risen from this turmoil. Text messaging donations. All you need to do is text a particular address and a donation is automatically billed to your account.
In the last 24 hours AT&T raised close to 1.2 million USD (promptly noted on CNN's Larry King Live by actor, director Ben Stiller who also serves as Save The Children spokesperson.
Type "HAITI" to 90999 (where a $10 donation will appear on your bill). Please note that standard text messaging rates will apply. AT&T notes that 100% of their donations will go directly to The Red Cross. This also works for cellphone customers in the UK.
Musician and activist Wyclef Jean also got his charitable organization to assemble a similar technique: Type "Yele” to 501501 for a $10 donation to appear on your bill. Again, standard text messaging rates may apply.
Canadian cellphones companies have quickly followed suit:
Bell Mobility: Type "HAITI" to 45678 with all $5 donations going to The Salvation Army.
Rogers & Fido: Type "HELP" to 1291 with $5.00 donation to support relief efforts.
Regardless where you are located in the world, I'm sure by now you are familiar with organizations near you that are providing recovery efforts. Please give them a call, send them an email, send them an sms.
Please do what you can. It is during these trying times when barriers need to fall and we all need to come together.
-hina