Help Haiti — just do it.
We’ve all been bombarded with the images of the devastation of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in the aftermath of the 7.0-magnitude earthquake, which has killed more than 111,000 people. We all want to help in some way, but some of us are not sure of the best vehicle for providing that help. I’ve been one of those people.
As I watched the images flashing across the television screen, they brought tears to my eyes. I wanted to do something, but was stuck in the quandary of what to do. What can I do, sitting here in the safety of my warm, intact home in the beautiful Pacific Northwest? I was so far removed from their reality. How could I help them?
Seeing the faces of the innocent children, my first instinct was to adopt a Haitian orphan. My husband quickly reminded me that with two kids about to be in college, it would not be a realistic option for us at this point in our lives. Then I started researching the many aid organizations that were soliciting donations. In order to choose the right one for our donation, I wanted to vet the organization. I wanted to know that as close to 100 percent of the donation as possible would benefit the victims and that it would arrive in the shortest amount of time.
After days of research, my inspiration came in the form of a 7-year-old boy halfway across the world in London, England. Charlie Simpson has already raised more than 120,000 pounds by sponsoring a “Bike Ride for Haiti.”
http://www.justgiving.com/CharlieSimpson-HAITI
If 7-year-old Charlie can do it, you and I have no excuse. If a portion of our donation is used for administrative costs, it’s still more than they had before your donation. If it doesn’t get there for a few days, it’s OK. The Haitians will still need help next month and next year as they rebuild their lives.
If we learned nothing else from Hurricane Katrina, we learned that doing nothing is the worst thing we can do. The people of Haiti need our help and every one of us can donate something.
Whether you raise funds yourself or donate to agencies such as World Vision, UNICEF, American Red Cross, Clinton Bush Haiti Fund or any number of other reputable organizations, it’s time to not just “think” about what we can do, but actually do it.
