Disaster Relief--Earthquake in Haiti--Help that Counts Now

Tuesday's 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck a little more than six miles deep just outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and the 40+ aftershocks measuring 4.5 to 5.3 on the Richter scale have devastated much of the concrete and stone structures throughout the area.

Tonight initial estimates of 50,000 dead are just guesses.  Because the roads have been broken up, it's even harder to move supplies and materials to where they are needed.  People on the ground are out of supplies and much is needed.

The American Red Cross (and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies) are active in response to disasters around the world.  I had Red Cross disaster training and volunteered with the Red Cross for more than 33 years.  I know first hand the good they do in disasters.

I also know that, in these initial days, the most important way to make a difference is to make a monetary donation--even as little as ten dollars by credit card.  If you are tempted to buy food or water or medical supplies, just donate the money you would have spent.  The American Red Cross has already earmarked $10 million dollars for Haiti and some funds are needed to create that amount.  Logistics of getting disaster supplies collected and in place quickly requires money and small amounts can be pooled quickly and can make an enormous difference.

You want to make sure that your donations go to what you want them to go to and that your credit card information will not be compromised.  The best way to do that is to go through existing organizations that you know are authentic.  I'm providing links for donations to the American Red Cross and Doctors without Borders--two which I know deliver and who we can believe in.

I donated to the American Red Cross International Response Fund yesterday and the Red Cross has now established a Haiti Relief and Development Fund.  You can donate to either or both of these funds or more by following this link or the link to the title of this post. 

Doctors Without Borders is another organization which does good work throughout the world.  They are already actively operating in Haiti and have a way of directing donations to that effort.  Take a look at a video released in December that documents some of the work they are doing in Haiti.

This is a second post for the day (Thursday, January 14th, 2010).  I didn't want another day to go by without posting about the need to respond to this international disaster.

By the way, I felt that is a great app available from the iTunes store for the iPod Touch and the iPhone.  It gives world-wide earthquake data and is always up-to-date.  I highly recommend it for anyone interested in tracking earthquake activity.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti is on the same time as New York City.  The temperature during the night is about 70 degrees F.  The temperature tomorrow during the day will be up to 92 degrees F.

Amazingly, Skype, Twitter, and cell phones with solar batteries are the ways people are communicating.