Earthquake help- send direct, do not text

[Irulan]

I know the whole "text and donate" thing has gone viral but according the the website mGive.com ( the organization that handles the distribution of the texted donations) it may take up to 90 days for the money to get to where it's needed. I was unable to find a charity rating on mGive foundation but surely they'll have administrative costs too.

"The funds are collected from each carrier by the The mGive Foundation (TMF) and then sent to the appropriate charity in approximately 90 days." (from www.mgive.com/Learn_More.aspx)

I found the link to this tidbit of information on the Mercy Corps website this morning.

So, if you inclined to make a donation, please make your donation directly to the charity of your choice. The following all have A ratings from charitywatch.org

Red Cross
Mercy Corps
Doctors Without Borders

[SadieKate]

And don't forget to check if your employer gives matching contributions. You'll need a receipt for that.

[sundial]

Thanks Irulan for posting the info.

[ehirsch83]

My work deals with Haiti on a daily basis(we are a small airline in south florida and we fly to the outer island of the bahamas, Haiti, and GTMO), and Haiti makes up over 50% of our business, so this is all very close to me right now.

I would also like to suggest Food for The Poor and also For Haiti, With Love.

They are both great and have been in Haiti for decades, they know where to distribute the supplies and have people set up down there to do just so. Food For The Poor is my 1st choice for donations.

Also, if you go to the bottom of this blog post you will see an email I sent out. It got picked up and posted on this blog for The New Times.

read all the way at the bottom....

http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2010/01/bruce_chait_auction.php#more

[Irulan]

Emily everything I have heard or read through the last few big disasters ( the tsumani, Katrina et) says to give money as the cost of shipping things, plus the issue of getting the RIGHT things, is really an issue. I see you've got a list but care to clarify on this? I have read so many horror stories of well intentioned items that were not able to be used for any number of reasons.

I am certainly not going to send cases of food from Washington state as it's just not cost effective.:)

[ehirsch83]

they need food, but it has to be food that can be stored but also easily accessible. Hence, pop top cans. No need for a can opener. DO NOT send anything that needs a can opener or water to be edible.(since water is very scarce)

Medical items are needed- from OTC child and adult medications to alcohol wipes, neosporin, gauze, band aids, etc.

toiletries(soap,etc.)

Feminine products- sanitary napkins. Females in Haiti do not use Tampons, so do not send them!

BLANKETS!!

water and water purification tablets. Water is the big thing, in Port water is very scarce now, in the country- it comes from wells. The other thing is, the water isn't drinkable in Port right now, so purification tablets would be a big help for those in Port so they could drink the water that is there.

Bottled water!! it is purified and helps with the scarcity of water.

Diapers
infant wipes
infant formula

boxed milk

batteries

Those are some of the main things that are needed.
Notice, clothes are not on the list- that is not a necessity right now-it is in the 70s right now, what is needed is medical supplies,food,water, toiletries and infant supplies

[papaver]

I'm supporting these guys. http://www.msf.org/

[OakLeaf]

Here's what I read about sending goods rather than money: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/haiti/100113/haiti-earthquake-aid

I'm splitting my donations between MSF/DWB and Action Aid (http://www.actionaidusa.org/).

[ny biker]

FWIW, the Red Cross (and other organizations) will be in Haiti for years dealing with this. They will still need the money 90 days from now.

[Irulan]

CNN did confirm the 90 day thing this am, however they said the organizations can borrow against it if they know it's coming. Or pre-spend it, something like that.

[Trek420]

Or they can have a sale :o I'm not kidding.

If you or anyone you know and love is anywhere on the Pacific Rim the odds are great that it's not if there will be a quake of that magnitude or greater but when. :o As we can see can be a while till the cavalry arrives.

We should strive to have an emergency kit at home, at work and in the car, heck even on the bike

While you could build your own kit, or get them at a hardware store .... buy 'em from the Red Cross. Heck get 3, get 3 for all your friends :p

They're red so get 'em for valentines day ;)

http://www.redcrossstore.org

[bmccasland]

The charitable organizations use the money to buy at wholesale. Cases of things are easier to ship, than individual items that need to be boxed, then shipped. We had lots of STUFF - clothes donated here that eventually wound up in the trash. It was amazing the odd stuff that months later we were sorting through trying to figure out what to do with. Yes we appreciated the thought that the nation was sending aid, and didn't want to seem ungrateful, but your miscellaneous garage sale items weren't really needed.

Unless at a local level, you can pack and ship clearly labled new boxes of supplies, such as the specialized items Ehirsch mentioned - just send cash. Impersonnal, I know, but effecient. If you are sending supplies, please check the expiration dates.

[jobob]

Hi -

Rachel Maddow did a segment on her show last night discussing donations via text messaging and noting that to, combat concerns that donations via text are taking a long time to clear, "the cell phone companies are stepping up to shorten that period of time".

See the segment here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#34888357

Here's a bit more:
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/verizon-speeds-up-text-message-donations-to-haiti/

Verizon is leading the pack by making the all the donated funds available immediately -- they're assuming that subscribers will pay their bills, fancy that! -- and other cell co's are following Verizon's lead to varying extents. For instance, Sprint is making 80% of donated funds available immediately.

I acknowledge that this donation method might not appeal to everyone, I'm simply passing this information on to those who might be interested.

[Irulan]

More on hoaxes/valid donations...

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/charity/haiti.asp

Snopes has a really good list of what is fact, what is not regarding UPS, texting, facebook etc.

The latest is a cut-and-paste Facebook update that says FB will give a dollar for every person that pastes a certain phrase into their updates.
Between google and snopes, this is absolutely unverified.

[KnottedYet]

I was reading comments about aid to Haiti here and there on the interwebs, and was stunned by the number of commentors who assumed that MAIL would be delivered even if AID is unable to to reach Haiti due to the airport being damaged and out of jet fuel and the shipping port being damaged and unusable.

Why, yes, the postmen are parachuting onto the island and floating over in inner tubes! Mail can magically go to Haiti without airplanes or boats! As one person said "we are a microwave society" and expect things to work and work instantly.

The concept that infrastructure can be broken just can't squeeze itself our societal mindset.

[Trek420]

In which a Haitian doctor opens up his home to be a makeshift hospital doing all he can without even the most basic supplies.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/cb_haiti_one_man_hospital

One source of medical supplies is a local group (well local to me) http://www.medshare.org

They take surplus but unexpired of course medical supplies and get them to places that need them. Haiti and others of course. I'm considering volunteering.

[KnottedYet]

Or they can have a sale :o I'm not kidding.
...

While you could build your own kit, or get them at a hardware store .... buy 'em from the Red Cross. Heck get 3, get 3 for all your friends :p

They're red so get 'em for valentines day ;)

http://www.redcrossstore.org

I bought the expandable/organizable duffel version (the one on sale right now) to keep in my car. I'll add some stuff (ambu bag, gloves, larger dressings, etc) and it looks like the duffel would hold it all better.

Money for the Red Cross, disaster supplies for me. Win-win.

[Trek420]

Money for the Red Cross, disaster supplies for me. Win-win.

A toast that we never need it :o but money for the red cross, emergency kit for you and .... a person with medical experience and supplies in the car for her community. Here's hoping it never needs to be used.

Win-win-win :cool:

[Irulan]

More on hoaxes/valid donations...

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/charity/haiti.asp

Snopes has a really good list of what is fact, what is not regarding UPS, texting, facebook etc.

The latest is a cut-and-paste Facebook update that says FB will give a dollar for every person that pastes a certain phrase into their updates.
Between google and snopes, this is absolutely unverified.

the FB cut/paste is now a confirmed hoax. I smelled a rat....

http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/2010/01/16/hoax-facebook-donates-1-per-status-update-to-haiti-relief.htm

[OakLeaf]

Before I give money to any organization, I check it out on Guidestar (http://www2.guidestar.org/), Charity Watch (http://www.charitywatch.org/) and Charity Navigator (http://www.charitynavigator.org/). Take a look at the IRS 990s if you feel the websites' ratings don't give enough information.

Easy way to avoid not only pure scams, but also sending money to charities that aren't going to send it where you want it to go.

[papaver]

My cycling buddies husband is there right now with the Belgian B-Fast team (rescue team). She hasn't heard from him yet, but I hope he can save some lives there (he's a nurse).

[evangundy]

So many worthy groups to donate to for helping. Here are a couple more.

My riding partner's father is leaving tomorrow to fly to Haiti with Medical Teams International - he is going as the pediatric specialist of an orthopedic surgery team. His family is recommending donations go to MTI http://www.medicalteams.org/sf/Home.aspx or to Stand With Haiti / Partners In Health http://www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti (which is a company that has been in Haiti for 20 years).

Prayers and good thoughts going out to all in Haiti.
Edna

[Trek420]

Prayers and good thoughts going out to all in Haiti

Thoughts and prayers also to all those who are speeding to give help.

[e.e.cummings]

Went to Mountain Equipment Co-op on the weekend, one of the things on my list was Gatorade powder - they were totally cleaned out (I was told that volunteers flying to Haiti bought out their entire stock). Puts things in perspective, doesn't it...

I donated to Unicef's Haiti Earthquake fund today. I see that Air Canada is sending planes full of goods, and bringing people back. There is quite a Haiti-Montreal connection, a lot because of the language (Haiti is French, Montreal also). So many sad stories, each flight back brings bittersweet stories...

[blackhillsbiker]

Lutheran World Relief, with a long-standing excellent track record, has also launched a text-to-give. If this is a convenient way to give, they would be a trustworthy charity. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/haiti-earthquake-lutheran-world-relief-launches-text-to-give-thrivent-financial-for-lutherans-announces-member-challenge-81881122.html

Deb

[OakLeaf]

snip


“In Haiti, as is always true in the aftermath of a major disaster, in addition to the urgent need for what we traditionally consider the pillars of immediate aid – food, water, shelter, medical care – there are needs that are specific to women, particularly for pregnant women and mothers with new babies and the need to address the added vulnerability to violence that women face when government infrastructures are dysfunctional,” writes Lucinda Marshall at Feminist Peace Network.

Our Bodies Ourselves has compiled a list of organizations (http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2010/01/responding-to-the-needs-of-women-and-girls-in-haiti) focused on addressing the health needs in Haiti, particularly the needs of women and girls, during and beyond the initial aid effort. Additional background articles and press releases are also included.

[Bob1213]

The staggering scope of Haiti's nightmare came into sharper focus Monday as authorities estimated 200,000 dead and 1.5 million homeless in the quake-ravaged heart of this tragic land, where injured survivors still died in the streets, doctors pleaded for help and looters slashed at one another in the rubble.

[papaver]

The staggering scope of Haiti's nightmare came into sharper focus Monday as authorities estimated 200,000 dead and 1.5 million homeless in the quake-ravaged heart of this tragic land, where injured survivors still died in the streets, doctors pleaded for help and looters slashed at one another in the rubble.

I've heard that two red cross members were shot dead too.

[OakLeaf]

I've heard that two red cross members were shot dead too.

I think we need to be careful spreading that sort of rumor, considering what happened after Katrina. Even if it's reported by a major news organization, it may not be true (as turned out with so many of the stories of post-Katrina violence). Neither the American Red Cross nor the ICRC has anything of the sort on their websites as of this morning.

[Trek420]

Going on right now on my fave local radio station they are running a marathon indoors on trainers for Haiti relief :)

http://www.kfog.com/PROGRAMMING/kfogmorningshow/Webcam/tabid/1049/Default.aspx

I just noticed the play list ;)

TRAIN IN VAIN by CLASH
I'LL GO CRAZY IF I DON'T by U2
RUN LIKE HELL by PINK FLOYD
BORN TO RUN by BRUUUUUCE
Song: LET'S DANCE
CHASING PIRATES by NORAH JONES ......

[Irulan]

I think we need to be careful spreading that sort of rumor, considering what happened after Katrina. Even if it's reported by a major news organization, it may not be true (as turned out with so many of the stories of post-Katrina violence). Neither the American Red Cross nor the ICRC has anything of the sort on their websites as of this morning.

Agree. This is a really good time to verify anything you hear with snopes, a good google search etc.

[Trek420]

+1. This is a time to also ask myself "self? If I was suddenly homeless, no food, water, maybe I'm injured and in need of medical care for myself, neighbors and loved ones, the stench and sounds of death everywhere, little help on the way and we're still having aftershocks .... how calm and civilized would I be? :("

I don't mean to make light of it but on Sunday the waiter forgot my coffee at brunch. Things almost got ugly :rolleyes: ;) :p We are so lucky here and this could be any of us.

[Irulan]

I see some pretty ugly political stuff regarding this disaster on some other boards, and I can't help myself - I have to jump in and remind people that compassion doesn't wear a label on who you voted for or what God you believe in.

One of the first things I did after the quake ( after my red cross Haiti-specific donation;)) was to call my family in the SF Bay Area. "how good are your earthquake preparations REALLY?" It's irrelevant how stable the USGS maps say your portion of Oakland or Berkeley is...Granted, when the Big One hits, it won't be quite as bad as what Haiti has experienced, but I wouldn't be surprised that it is very, very bad despite everyone bolting their hot water heaters to the wall and retrofitting thier foundations. I was there for Loma Prieta, and have some friend who had very close calls both on the Bay Bridge and the Embarcadero.

[Trek420]

...Granted, when the Big One hits, it won't be quite as bad as what Haiti has experienced, but I wouldn't be surprised that it is very, very bad ....

We're overdue for an 8 and Haiti was a 7 sumthin. That's 10 x's worse regardless of how bolted your house is. :eek:

But more important although our buildings might be better here we're a lot more highly populated.