Editorial: We can help the people of Haiti
The CommuterWednesday, January 20, 2010
The earthquake that devastated Haiti on Jan. 12 has left a whole country in desperate need of aid. The exact numbers are hard to find, but recent estimates put the number of deceased around 200,000, and there are more than three million people that are currently affected by the disaster. As a country already struggling to pull itself out of economic hardship – four out of five people in Haiti lived in poverty even before the earthquake – Haiti is in dire need of help to rebuild and recover.
Despite our apparent dislocation from the crisis, we are still able to make a difference that will be felt by the people of Haiti. The best way for Oregonians to help is by donating money to an organization. Huge sums of money are currently being donated to this crisis, but the need is still great.
There are many organizations taking donations and helping out in Haiti, so your choices are nearly limitless. Do some background research into any organization you are considering donating to because of the possibility of scams. Unfortunately, there are always people looking to make a quick buck off the misfortune of other people. There are a number of honest, reliable organizations worldwide, however, that make sure the donations get to the intended recipients rather than lining someone’s pockets.
The advantages of donating to a reputable organization are clear. Not only do you know your money is safe, but you also know that the money is being well spent. Some of the major organizations even have charts and graphs that show you how efficiently they spend your donation.
We understand most of our readers are college students and money may be hard to come by, but we implore you to donate as much as you can afford. In a time like this, the smallest contribution can make a huge difference to the lives of those who are suffering, so even if you can only give a dollar, it’s very much appreciated.
Scott McAleer’s History of Latin America class is taking donations every day in the cafeteria. This is a great way to donate if you only have a small contribution. For more information, see the article above.
There are many other ways to donate, so do some research. One easy, simple way is a text donation. Some organizations have set up numbers that you can text to and the donation will be added to your phone bill. Text donations can become a target of scammers, but there are at least a few trustworthy numbers.
We highly recommend checking out The Huffington Post’s page on how to give to Haiti: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/impact. They have compiled a list of charitable organizations you can donate to, which includes links as well as a short paragraph explaining each fund.
Although much suffering that has occurred is irreversible, it’s not too late for you to help. It is as easy as sending a text.
Comment
Commenting is closed for this article.
