Earthquake in Haiti

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Needless to say, they needed yesterday’s earthquake about as much as the plague (which they had not too long ago). Here are a few avenues to assist relief efforts from your computer:

VIA TEXT:

• Text “HAITI” to 90999 and you will be charged for a $10 donation to International Red Cross relief efforts.
• cell carriers will send on a $5 donation on your account if you text YELE to 501501.  Wyclef Jean has apparently verified this on CNN.  

VIA NGOs:

• Mercy Corps, with extensive experience responding to earthquakes (e.g., recent Indonesian Quake), quickly organizing relief effort.
• Save The Children has offices in Haiti and have begun efforts to assist.
• Oxfam International provides assistance to victims of emergencies and ongoing disasters throughout the world.  Here’s a direct link to support Oxfam’s Haiti relief effort.
• Doctors Without Borders (aka Medecins Sans Frontieres or MSF) is an international group of medical professionals who work in chronically underserved countries, emergency sites and refugee camps around the world.  They have not yet announced plans to go to Haiti, from what I can find, but they certainly will.  With the collapse of the hospital in Port-au-Prince, their help will be especially needed.
• World Vision, already on the ground, and where you can also sponsor a Haitian child under their care.
• This Org . apparently does extensive work in Haiti, but I’ve personally never heard of it before.

VIA RELIGIOUS ORG’s:

• the United Methodist Committee on Relief which uses 100% of donations for relief;
• the Quakers’ American Friends Service Committee;
• Catholic Relief Services - already on the ground.

If anyone has other recommendations, please feel free to add.