As we are all very well aware at this point, there was a devastating earthquake just outside of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. This 7.0 magnitude quake has lefts thousands homeless, and roughly 100, 000 dead. The tragedy that Haiti is facing is one that is compounded by the fact that it is the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Roughly 80% of the citizens of Haiti live below the poverty level. The per capita income of Haiti is $560 annually. Living in California we have the luxury of strict building codes and seismic standards that are not the norm in Haiti, which has been a major factor in the impact that this earthquake.
I am coincidently staying in San Luis Obispo for training on Emergency Management for earthquakes right now, and I cannot help but let my mind wander off to the thought of how devastating this earthquake has been, and how fortunate we truly are here in California. I have been searching for ways that I may be of help and was able to find a listing of resources from CNN. The below link provides information on charitable organizations that you can donate to.
Hip Hop artist Wyclef Jean is urging people to donate $5 to his Haitian charity, Yéle Haiti, by texting "YELE" to 501501. (The donation will be automatically charged to your cellphone bill.) His is one of many Haiti earthquake relief efforts underway.
Additionally, you can text HAITI to 90999, which will send a $10 donation the Red Cross. The donation will be added to your phone bill and all of the money will go directly to the Red Cross.
While I am well aware of the tough financial situation that many people are in, it is hard to look at the devastation on television and not feel an overwhelming desire to give all you can to help our fellow man in this dire time of need.
Resources to donate:
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