Crisis in Haiti

There has been a cataclysmic earthquake in Haiti. Conditons are beyond desperate. If you can afford to give anything to help in the relief effort please do so. The Haitian people need global help.

Despite the terrible poverty, Haiti is a magical island. The people have courage and honour. They deserve a better world for themselves and their children. Be generous to them.

Awful of course.

When giving make sure the charity is solid. And the connection to it of the representative begging for funds.

Sad to say but this type of thing brings opportunists out of the woodwork.

god seems hell bent on destroying the poor (meek)

btw I think all disasters of this kind are terrible and my heart goes out to all affected.

I'm very sorry to say that there are already reports of scam appeals to help the people in Haiti - do make sure any donations get to help the people who really need them.

In the UK, the Disasters Emergency Committee is co-ordinating the appeal:

http://www.dec.org.uk//

OMG!!! Did you hear what Pat Robertson said on his network!!! I commend his organization that is providing relief aid to the Haitians but his comments are IMO very backhanded and inappropriate.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/white-house-advisor-valerie-jarrett-speechless-pat-robertson/story?id=9555714

just give directly to the red cross of your country, or the international red cross.

Jig, why don't you fly there and help them increase the birth rate to repopulate the island?

What Pat Robertson said is disgusting.

At first, I then I because it's so ridiculous, and just makes his over the top fanaticism all the more obvious. Now, I've been called a religious fanatic. *shrug* I don't mind, but to whip up that kind of story is just so out there that I visualize guys in white coats and nets sneaking up behind him. (and to say it out loud, too, gee) Nobody has the answer to the question he was so-called answering. I feel that Haiti had such incredible damage because of their grinding poverty and the poor build construction. If we'd had that same earthquake in most places in the USA, we'd probably have fared better because our builds are not made of tarpaper. To me that makes more sense than a pact with Satan, no matter how religious I am. I also try not to be a fool, or at least avoid sounding like one.

Tres... Did you hear Teddy Pendergrass pased away? Bless his heart, I loved him.

Sigh. No, I didn't know. I loved him too. He really paid a heavy price for his wild youth. I'm so sorry.

no sable, i hadn't heard. that's sad.

the mass loss of life in Haiti is beyond comprehension.

Not my preferred charities but ty.



Yes very sad also.

Over 100,000 estimated dead in Haiti and many more trapped. It's chilling.

America is sending aid, of course...at the same time others in the world are plotting to kill us.

Oh, but Pat Robertson has compassion for the people of Haiti. Some other third party said so. The sheer idiocy of Pat's statements apparently are something we're not supposed to listen to.

He must be the Wizard of Oz. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain, Mr. Robertson is truly a man of compassion. Talk about a classic example of cluelessness.

Regarding who to donate to:

The Red Cross is a good organization, don't get me wrong. But to tell people not to donate to anybody BUT them to help out in Haiti is really not a good idea. There are other legitimate organizations who are also providing real relief, not scams. Oxfam for one.

Just make sure that your donations are truly going to the organization you are being told they're going to, and verify that it's legitimate, and things will be fine.

If your company is part of the United Way charity drive, or if you work for the US Government and contribute via the Combined Federal Campaign, there will be specific charities you can contribute to, including at least one just added for Haiti relief efforts.

My friend Patrick Bellos is a DJ and they are having a DJ battle to raise money for the folks in Haiti. Once I get the details, I will post it for those that care to donate inworld.

Yes Treasure, Teddy did pay a very heavy price for his youthful indiscretions. I remember when I first saw him at the Kool Jazz Fesitival and it was the first time I saw women actually throwing their panties at him while he was on the state. As a teenager, I was like WTF. LOL.

Oh, did you see that? I didn't see you there......

Here is CNNs very good list of links to contribute for Haiti relief for a bunch of organizations that are large enough to mobilize effectively. Knowing the Red Cross fairly well, I never contribute to them - my favorite in this list is Mercy Corps (being smaller, their delivered care/$ ratio is quite good):

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/01/13/haiti.earthquake.how.to.help/?hpt=Sbin

Giving in SL is always tempting, but since I do not earn money in SL, anything I give there is taxed twice by LL: when I convert cash to Lindens, and when the charity exports it.

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I just read one article that said a relief plane from China couldn't even be unloaded, because the airport doesn't have equipment or manpower to do it, a hint of the bottlenecks to come, of relief items, food sitting and going bad and not getting to the people, for reasons like this.. They said money is worth nothing right now, water is the currency of the day......

Money in Haiti is worth nothing, but money given to relief organizations is worth a lot!

The problem seen by China is why giving to organizations that already have feet on the ground in Haiti is better, at the moment.

[Side note: I feel proud of the US, for once, reading about the administration's planned response to this disaster. Lots of relief troups, as well as supplies, in route as we speak. They will be securing the airport, distributing water, repairing essential services, etc.. Obama has reached out to former administration officials involved in the Indonesian relief effort, including Bush. /me beams. Maybe Bush can get Limbaugh to shut up - him advising his viewers to not give to Haitian relief is just nuts.]

I know lots of people, not in the public eye like Limbaugh, who feel exactly the same way. He just happens to be more vocal and easily heard.

Americans ALWAYS send AID. ALWAYS, we are usually the first to...
They are calling for blood here... and our local news channel set up a phone number you can call that makes a 10.00 donation (I think its text haiti then some numbers... hmm)
I give ever year to Red Cross, I had a fire burn my house down and I lost everything, I was a renter and at the time had no idea renters could even get insurance, they gave me money, clothes for me and my kids and food...

IMHO, unless you have a particular charity you know is legit, give to red cross, donate in the Haiti fund.. it will not be used for anything else!

We have as you can imagine a large number of haitian people living in florida and its so close..... It kinda freaks us out here.. so close an earthquake?!?!?!

I recall when we had those 3 hurricanes come through (right over my house) that winter was particurly cold and dry.. as was this winter.. Just now today hitting 70f....

these freakish natural disasters...... I dunno.....

and I didnt hear what that guy said, but if it was the same guy who made the comments about katrina and new orleans..... PFFT not even worth reading or hearing.

And quite a few others that spend less on administrative costs also.

I was shocked to find out a scammer tried to collect for Haiti on behalf of RFL of SL. RFL does NOT collect on behalf of any other charities so our RL ACS Rep came into SL to ban him from the Island and filed an AR on him. Luckily there are so many RFLer's in SL that he was turned in before he was able to scam anything... even though he had the scam all set up.

If anyone here runs into anyone trying to raise funds for Haiti on behalf of RFL please IM me or our ACS rep Stingray9798 Raymaker so we can nip it in the bud. It is so important to be careful of these people that will do anything for money.

I give blood to the Redcross every 10 weeks at the company I work for..it is nice as they come in and set up in a conference room... we can go give blood whenever we have the extra time during that day. Free orange juice also

Our local news station has set up a fund we can go to on their website to contribute...at least I feel somewhat safer sending my money that way.

Some people are just disgusting.