Helping Haiti

We all know their need, though I doubt any of us can imagine just how much they need it right now. I want to plug a couple of different ways to help contribute to the relief efforts underway in Haiti.

There are a lot of fundraisers going on right now and many organizations that want to help. Personally, the one and only organization that I trust to use 100% of my donation to go where I mean it, is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. No monies go to pay salaries or overhead costs; every penny will go to the relief efforts, so I encourage anyone who wants to make sure that their dollar goes entirely to helping the people in Haiti, to donate through the church. You can make donations on tithing slips at church (under Humanitarian) or anytime on-line. The church immediately sent out trucks with hygiene kits along with other humanitarian aid from their locations in the Dominican Republic. They then sent two planes (one from Denver, the other from Miami), each carried over 80,000 pounds of food and emergency resources such as blankets, tents, tarps, water filtration bottles and medical supplies. The church also sent out a team of doctors with more medical supplies who will set up a medical treatment center in one of the church buildings that was mostly undamaged by the earthquake. Because the quake destroyed hospitals and now medical supplies are scarce, this will help tremendously. Other chapels are being used as temporary shelters and the church is continuing to send out more shipments of humanitarian supplies.

The second plug I want to give is for my little sister who has an etsy store, Once Upon a Tuesday, selling jewelry, photography, and gifts. For the rest of this month, she will be sending 50% of her jewelry sales to UNICEF for the relief efforts in Haiti. It is a great way to donate while also acquiring beautiful jewelry that I promise you will love!

However you choose to help, I know every little bit makes a difference. And even if you can't send anything at this time, definitely keep the people in Haiti in your prayers. On 9-11, people all over the world prayed for us, they were all Americans that day. Now we can do the same for Haiti, our hearts hurt for them; right now we are all Haitians.