We all have seen the horrific images and most of us are keeping up in our own way with the situation in Haiti. I am sure many of us have reached in our pocketbooks to send what we can. We must dig down deeper and send more.
The first lady and the past three presidents have asked all Americans to do what we can.
Google Crisis links to send donations to Haiti relief effort.
To send a $10 donation to the effort simply text (HAITI) to the number 90999 and it will come out of your cell phone bill.
Recommended news source: I have been following the CNN web page for new updates, and their twitter feed is especially informative and timely:
http://twitter.com/cnnbrk/haiti?hpt=T1
Welcome news! the Doctors Without Borders cargo plane, the one carrying their much-needed inflatable hospital, has finally landed! (It had been refused permission due to congestion at the airport.) Another plane to arrive in a couple hours.
I got this info from the CNN twitter feed, which is fascinating:
http://twitter.com/cnnbrk/haiti?hpt=T1
And also see http://doctorswithoutborders.org
Thank you!! That is good news to hear…
That’s great to hear. It’s so frustrating to watch this mess on TV and see little kids — and others — dying for lack of a doctor. It’s very upsetting.
I didn’t know the Bill Clinton and his love for that country goes back to the early ’70s.
how do you text?
Yes, I heard Pres. Clinton say that he and Hillary had first gone there shortly after their marriage – they were given frequent flier miles by a family friend as a “delayed” honeymoon present. I find it remarkable and touching that they are now both so intimately involved in helping with this recovery and rebuilding effort 🙂
Thanks, it’s good to keep the word up on this – the football game was even talking about this. I’m not exactly prone to tears from the TV, I can usually distance myself and intellectualize the suffering. Not coldly, I sympathize, but I’m not overcome. Some of these scenes though, the fighting for MRE’s, the machetes, the children, the bodies on the streets, the tragic cries… well, I almost teared up… it just came over me, and the corners of my eyes almost gave way.
What a tragedy. So much so, I haven’t even begun to think much on the domestic political situation – which is what I normally would start analyzing. No, the human toll is still the primary concern here. All politics, domestic and foreign, can wait.
I’ve heard that the Clooney telethon will be on like 12-16 channels, possibly more.
It’s sad. I’ve heard some Haitians, putting a positive spin on it like only those who have lived in such a poor, dysfunctional, and corrupt nation could. They say maybe they had to hit absolute rock bottom to rebuild their country from scratch. I would never say such a thing, but maybe they have a point. I just don’t like insinuating such devastation is necessary to advance – it’s neocon in tone. Port-au-Prince will have to be rebuilt from scratch, if they choose to fully rebuild it. Hopefully the Haitian people endure, and this will be a longterm commitment, as Obama and Clinton have promised, with continued human service aid and some rebar (for goodness sake – what to do with all that concrete?).
Just saw this from the CNN twitter feed:
“Spoke to the Haitian community today @ their church They made ribbons: black because the old #haiti is buried, red b/c it will rise again”
I’ve been feeling it, too – this meme that here is a chance for Haiti to rebuild in the best way possible. So sad that so much devastation has taken place.
Hey, my kids are getting a huge boost from doing the text donation to the Red Cross
Text “HAITI” to 90999. Ten Dollars. Thats it, simple.
My neighbor was running a Bake Sale for the Red Cross today!
Then at the Sears they can take a donation with your purchase $1.00 $5.00 0r $10.00
It is good to know that people will have so many opportunities to help.
Javez those that say we all ready donate with our tax dollars should have a building fall on them.
Obviously if you have huge chunks of money at your disposal you should send more, but most up us will give in small drips and drabs. It’s amazing how many people help at these times and giving in small amounts over time is also good so people don’t forget. It’s just sad that it takes disasters like this to help people when countries like Haiti was an ongoing disaster before this happened.
I’m glad the US has put a stay on deportation to Haiti for 18 months. I hope we take the next step to accept Haitian refugees, especially taking in children who have lost parents.
I limit myself to just one credit card, preferring to pay for things in cash. When my money and bank books were stolen on Christmas Day, I called the bank to stop my account. The woman I deal with, mistook bank ATM cash card for credit card and cancelled my Visa card along with everything else by mistake, my card was about 3 months old.
I’m expecting the new card any day now and will donate as soon as I can.
What a nightmare.
Do you have any idea who stole from you?
Is there any hope that the culprit(s) will be caught?
He was caught in the new year, the police called on the 2nd to inform me. Seems like the bugger had done the same to about 30 people in my area, most of them elderly. Someone had called the police and given a description of the guy, the police had made flyers to leave in our post boxes. I don’t read Japanese Kanji so I must have thrown it out with the rest of the junk that is stuffed in the post box everyday.
In the end he ran out of luck, the house had a security camera, the person had the flyer in her hall, recognized him from the drawing, called the police and kept him talking. They arrived in less than 5 minutes and arrested him. When they checked his room, they found everything he had stolen still in the bags or boxes, my money and bank books were still in the bag from the bank, he had spent almost $2,000 of my money. The police double checked with my bank and a week or so later I could collect the rest of my money and bank books after signing a statement following a session with mug shots.
The fact that he spent my money and that I had to go though the process of setting up a new account was really tiresome but I consider myself lucky that I saw any of my money again. We will be installing a security camera soon, I’ve learned my lesson.
WOO HOO!
So, you were able to recover your stolen funds?
Yes javaz, I got a little over $4,000 back, it was a miracle and now I can go ahead and do as I intended with the money. Better late than never.
Kalima, I’m so glad to hear that you got at least part of the money back. I think I saw the other day that b’ito’s brother’s scooter was found, too! Is that right?
It’s a relief to know that sometimes law enforcement is actually there to “protect and serve” and that they aren’t all “Sheriff Joe Arpaio” types.
Thanks kesmarn, he could have spent it all but my account was closed a few hours later when I realized that the bag was gone.
I was lucky because there had been so many similar cases in my neighbourhood and someone had been able to describe him, something I couldn’t do because it was a busy day, and so many people had been to my door. I did manage to point out his face from a photo though, but couldn’t tell you what he was wearing. In future I’ll take note of things like that
Kalima! So you actually saw this person? Wow. I hope he stays locked up for a long time. That would be a really unnerving experience.
Prayers that you stay safe will go forth tonight!
He rang my doorbell and said he was collecting donations for schools in Africa, the phone rang, I closed the door but didn’t lock it. The money was on the floor in a bag from the bank, when I came back, he, my money and bank books were gone.
Thank you for your concern, I was worried for my safety too, but we are installing a security camera next month, I doubt if he would try it here again, that would be really stupid.
What a lowlife slimeball, Kalima! Those cameras sound like a wise investment. I wish I could lend you my BigBoy stray cat as a “watch cat.” He’s bigger than many dogs. He showed up again today for his hand out, which he totally does not need. But I can’t resist his sad little mug.
I’ll feel safer with the camera, I’m alone a lot, hubby travels here and also to Europe.
My cats sleep though an earthquake, they certainly aren’t much use.
I am sorry to hear the stress and wear and tear you had to go through, Kalima. I’m sure it was not good on you. I am glad they did catch the perp and you got most of your possessions returned.
I had my information from my debit card stolen and they took close to $900 before they were stopped. The hassle of getting my money back took hours of phone calls and many bus trips. And like you, stress is not good when you have auto-immune problems.
Take care Dear One.
Hi bito, it was a bloody nightmare and caused me many sleepless nights which in turn led me to not being able to eat anything for 5 solid days. I became very ill during this time and hubby gave me hell for being careless in leaving the money on a step in our hallway.
Yes there was a lot of stress involved, but as you can see, I’m on the mend.
Thank you for your kind words, I always appreciate them. 🙂
I know you want to help. You may have a local cell phone text message way to donate.
I’ve had no credit cards for a while now, just check cards. Now about anything you can do on a credit card you can do with a check card anyway.
I don’t own a cell phone or a check card K, I don’t go anywhere out of my house to use a phone.
I think my Visa card will be here next week and I’ll PayPal a donation then. Thanks btw.
Dang that sucks. PayPal that’s a great idea.
Why pay $40 every month for the pleasure of never using a cell phone even if you have one, I have 16 cats to feed every day. That leaves me wearing sweats with holes in and I never get a verbal thank you from any of them, all I ever hear is more please. 🙂
We actually held out longer than most people but once I got sick we needed to have cell phones for emergencies at least. Now it’s like what would we do with out them. Fortunately most of my family uses the same cell company so our long distance calls are part of the plan.
F has one, but of course everything is in Japanese, neither use nor ornament to me.
In your case you need one, and I’m glad that you do have access now.
My husband did that thing while I was doing whatever it was I was doing at the time, and it was his turn for being on the computer and he went to the Red Cross site for Haiti and donated in my late-brother’s name.
He also sent a thing through that site to my brother’s partner, and that guy hates me, and to this day I do not get that – what can a person do that is so unforgivable?
Whatever it is, I did it, but Lee was sent an email that said a donation was made in my brother’s name.
Then today, while I was cleaning the house, my husband ran up to the store for me, and he gave again at Walgreen’s.
I cannot imagine the suffering, fear, and anger the people of Haiti are feeling.
It’s very hot there right now, is that right?
So, the smell from decaying bodies, fear of disease, and then there is the hope of survivors still in the rubble.
Honest to God, I cannot imagine the poverty and then for this to happen.
God bless Obama for sending troops to help with aid and keeping the peace.
God shame and God damn those who say we should not help.
I can’t image what he people are going though with so many dead. I was just thinking last night how horrible it must be when a huge percentage of people in your country don’t even have roofs over their heads.
We are all should give what we can for quite a while because it’s not like this is going to end anytime soon.