Haiti

Posted by Emily M. | January 18, 2010 | 19 Comments

Vast tragedy makes me feel numb. I have a good friend who weeps over wars and inhumanity elsewhere. But I feel… numb, unable to wrap my head and heart around so much pain. Or, if I’m not numb, I watch the news and feel like a voyeur. The camera lingers on a woman sitting in front of a pile of rubble, crying, for the death that surrounds her, for her loved ones who have died. And who am I to ogle her pain, to be appalled and perhaps a little fascinated by the way the earth and its tremors devastate her life? I talk back to the television sometimes, wishing that the media would allow their grief some privacy. But I watch anyway.

Because it’s not private grief. It’s open to the world, and it has to be. That is the only way the world can respond. And yet, the world responds to chaos in an eager but inefficient way, planes landing practically on top of each other. Mixed in with the experienced volunteers are those with good and willing hearts but little practical experience who sometimes make things worse. If the grief were not open to the world, no one would come, and yet the people who do come cannot fix things. Who can fix this problem? There is a paralysis about it.

But Haiti needs to move forward, and, as the new fourth mission of the Church states, we have an obligation to care for the poor and needy. I think that one of the great lies that I sometimes believe at times like this is that my small contribution cannot make any difference at all, so why bother. But this is not true: it makes a difference to me, it opens and softens my heart. Turning off the numbness and doing something positive makes me more Christlike, I hope. And the small contributions of many thousands of people can make a difference to the people suffering in Haiti.

With that in mind, here are links to places that can help (hat tip to Shelah):

Partners in Health
The Red Cross
The Church’s disaster relief fund
Heifer International

And an ebay auction for a gorgeous little girl’s dress in which all proceeds will go to Partners in Health. There’s also the ebay charity homepage if you are looking for other auctions.

What are your favorite charities and ways to contribute in times of disaster? Please post them in the comments, along with your thoughts on how you respond to tragedy.

Category: Daily Special
Tags: Haiti

Comments

19 Responses to “Haiti”

Julie R.
January 18th, 2010 @ 9:38 am

“I think that one of the great lies that I sometimes believe at times like this is that my small contribution cannot make any difference at all, so why bother.”

I completely identify with this statement. When long-established organizations are able to do so much, or when celebrities are able to organize and raise millions of dollars, it makes me feel like the $5, $10, or $20 I’m able to eek out of my budget is a total joke.
But it’s the collective, right? It’s everyone putting a little something in, and all those little somethings start to add up.

I’ve never really given in times of disaster until now…when my sister texted me Thursday to let me know her husband’s unit was mobilized and he was gone, with no return date. He’s a surgeon and in the five days he’s been in Haiti, he’s hardly slept at all. His unit has a list of supplies they need, and I’ve asked some co-workers to help me put together some supplies over the next two weeks that we can send to his unit.

I also tend to go a little numb, as you described, but then I look for ways in my community to help. Check on the local food bank, women’s shelter, etc. Those charities are always in need, and I feel like it might allow organizations like the Red Cross to focus entirely on the disaster, rather than split their attention on local needs as well.
Justine
January 18th, 2010 @ 10:15 am

I recommend CharityNavigator.com as a great place to vet charitable organizations. I’ve just been giving to Partners in Health, largely because of their intimate relationship with Haitians, but that website lists a bunch of orgs that are actively working in Haiti right now, and have been proven to effective uses of your money.
FoxyJ
January 18th, 2010 @ 10:18 am

I also tend to go numb, because it is ‘easier’ to just not think about such large scale suffering. Last night I was flipping channels and for some reason ended up watching most of a special report on the Spanish-language channel about the disaster. I thought it was interesting because one of the things they focused on was church services being held in the country yesterday. It reminded me that one thing I can do is pray; sometimes I forget that.

And now I’m going to see if I can find a little bit to donate; I still haven’t done it yet because it seemed a bit futile, but I think this is a good reminder that every little bit helps.
Justine
January 18th, 2010 @ 10:21 am

ps – the Red Cross has raised over $3 million dollars from those $10 texts that they made possible. $3 MILLION!!! Ten dollars at a time. Don’t underestimate our ability to help!
Michelle L.
January 18th, 2010 @ 10:56 am

Thanks Emily. All of our hearts are aching for Haiti right now and we need this dialogue.
anonymous
January 18th, 2010 @ 11:03 am

I’m going anonymous on this one so that I don’t sound quite so self-righteous.

Most of us are in a budget crunch this time of year (and this decade!) and this is one of my favorite ways to find a little extra cash to give.

At our house we find something we were planning to spend money on– a trip to the movies, a night out to dinner, a new book– and donate that $$ instead. I knew that practice was embraced by my children this weekend when my eight year old son asked to skip his birthday dinner out and store-bought cake in favor of donating that money to the Humanitarian Center. We made dinner and the cake at home and had just as much fun, yet my children were able to feel like they had donated to the cause.
JoLyn
January 18th, 2010 @ 11:17 am

I’ve been feeling ashamed this morning that I haven’t been able to do more. I’m sitting here in my warm home, blogging of things mundane and trivial. It all hit home to me when I read about a pregnant woman giving birth on the sidewalk in Haiti. I can hardly stand it.

But we all can’t go there to help. We can just give our little bit and pray that it can get there. And pray for them. And let it change our hearts…to feel compassion and love and to mourn with those that mourn. Thanks for putting it in perspective–our united small efforts really can make a difference.
rainsplats
January 18th, 2010 @ 11:43 am

There’s a number on the Red Cross page that you can text to donate $10. The companies involved (who normally take a cut to cover their costs) have agreed to donate 100% of their services. Therefore, 100% of your donation will go to the Red Cross’s Haiti Fund.

more info here:
http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_nolnav_text2help

I tried this, and it worked great. I’d tried to call in to donate and the lines were busy. With the texting it was fast and the donation will be charged to my next wireless phone bill.

The major TV Networks (in the US) will be doing a telethon for Haiti on January 22nd.
Janet
January 18th, 2010 @ 11:47 am

My favorite charity is LDS Humanitarian Aid – it’s easy to give to – right there on your tithing slip. And I feel like 100% of my donation will be used to reduce suffering all over the world because I trust the administration of the program.
Tay
January 18th, 2010 @ 11:58 am

There are some very reputable companies that are matching donations made through their website. Like http://www.salesforce.com/
Every little bit helps.
rainsplats
January 18th, 2010 @ 12:11 pm

Em,
Sometimes I feel that numbness, too. I also feel connected. I feel gratitude for those who dropped everything to go help dig people out. I donate what I can so I can be a part of that. This is when I feel like we’re all God’s children – when we’re helping each other regardless of race or religion.

I know that people would do the same for me if the disaster had happened here.

My daughter’s PTA asked us to send an emergency kit to school for each child. Then they’ll have snacks and toys and a note from home if they ever have to keep the kids at school for an emergency. I told my daughter to help those around her–to comfort others, to share her jacket and snacks.

I wouldn’t be able to take care of her, but I’d be able to take care of people near me….and trust that people near her would take care of her.

I keep thinking of the conference talk where he said every night at dinner, his dad would ask each family member, “What did you do today to serve someone else?”

I want that focus in my home. My children are young. We started a ‘helping hands fund’. I let the kids do small chores like picking up 3 toys or throwing away 5 pieces of garbage to earn a penny for the fund. Then they get to slide the penny into the piggy bank. That way, every penny/nickel/dime/quarter in the bank also represents something they did to help make the house cleaner.

At Christmas time, we donated the funds to several charities at school – like quarters for Christmas. We talked about who the money would help and pointed out things we have that other people don’t have – like shoes, coats, house, etc. The kids really took to it.

After hearing the conference talk, I really wanted to involve my kids in the giving process. Now I realize that I wanted them to feel that connection.
Andrea R.
January 18th, 2010 @ 12:39 pm

Thanks for this Emily. I often numb myself to this kind of tragedy too — it makes my head and heart explode to think of little children suffering when there’s nothing at all I can do. I heard on NPR that a center for disabled children was completely destroyed, and I just started to cry — I had to turn it off.

I was watching the Golden Globes last night and thinking, “Look at all these rich people! They have tons of money to give!” I heard that Tiger Woods donated $3 million, because he has that kind of money just hanging around to donate…it made me feel like the paltry $20 that I might be able to scrounge up look pathetic. Still, in the end, it’s our intent and what’s in our hearts that we will be judged by…

Thank you for the reminder.
Karen
January 18th, 2010 @ 12:48 pm

Every little bit counts. Just last week I put a book about this on my to-read list. It is called ‘Give a little:how your small donations can transform our world’ by Wendy Smith. One of the things I read in the review of the book quoted a study that found that
“most of the giving to the tsunami relief efforts came from gfts of less than $50 made by millions of Americans… similar to the charitable response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and what we believe occurred after Hurricane Katrina.”

It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Every little bit counts.

I did hear something negative on NPR about the texting to donate to the Red Cross. They were interviewing Daniel Borocoff (President and Founder, American Institute of Philanthropy) and asked him about the texting donating. and he said
“Well, one thing to consider is, is some of these services, they distribute the money every – quarterly, meaning three times a year. So you may be able to quickly agree to give the money, but it may not wind up for the charity for a while. So we actually strongly encourage people to give directly, because there’s less chance the money could be siphoned off. It’s likely that the mobile phone company wants you to pay your bill before they’re going to allocate the money.

And this is something new, and there could be things going wrong with it. So, certainly, we don’t want to discourage new people from giving that might not ordinarily give, but it’s almost always better to give direct.” Here is the link http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122573608

This encouraged me to give more directly.
Sue
January 18th, 2010 @ 2:00 pm

Apparently, we are on the same page today, and I completely relate to your post. In fact, I posted about the same subject on my blog today. The links I found for donations, besides our church, which gives 100% of moneys donated and pays for administrative costs out of a different fund, are “Partners for Health” and “Food for the Poor.” Both seem to be popular with people who have direct ties to Haiti and are ranked well on Charity Navigator. Their links and some additional information are on my blog if anyone is interested.

=)
Strollerblader
January 18th, 2010 @ 4:58 pm

Not to threadjack, but so far, the “4th Mission of the Church” is just rumor. Nothing official there. (I’m our stake humanitarian specialist, so I’ve been waiting and checking the lds.org website frequently to see if anything is happening.)

But that, of course, certainly doesn’t excuse us from serving.

As you were!
Deborah
January 18th, 2010 @ 6:36 pm

Strollerblader:

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13965607
Emily M.
January 19th, 2010 @ 2:33 pm

Thanks everyone for the additional links. I love the idea of kids wanting to donate their birthday cake, or the good-deed jar. It’s so good to have them feel connected to people in need, and often so hard to do it effectively.

I also really appreciate knowing that I am not alone in feeling numb. Thank you in joining me as we turn off the numbness…

(and Deborah, thanks for the link. That is what I was referring to, Strollerblader, and I guess I figured that the news source was reputable enough that it wasn’t just a rumor. I hope not, anyway. )

Please continue to use this forum, if you would like, to post additional links to resources, or online auctions, or any other ways that we can be of service to our brothers and sisters in Haiti.
Heather O.
January 20th, 2010 @ 10:51 am

Emily, the other thing I take comfort in (if there is comfort to be had) is that as the dust settles, things get a little more organized, there will be more tangible ways to help. I found that with Hurricane Katrina. I felt so helpless at the beginning, and sent my money to the Red Cross etc along with everybody else. As things got more stable, other avenues to help opened up, and we were able to sponsor a displaced family months after the the actual hurricane. Things in Haiti are in such disarray right now that I feel like the best thing TO do is cough up my money and pray that it does good, and then if and when infrastructures of organization get put into place, we can do good in more tangible ways. After all, this isn’t something that will go away in a few days. Help is going to be needed for a long time.
Heather O.
January 20th, 2010 @ 10:53 am

Strollerblader, our bishop told us of the 4th mission of the church over the pulpit. If it’s just a rumor, it’s a doozy of one.