Haiti Earthquake: How Can BDPA Help?

The news isn’t good: Officials fear the death toll will reach 100,000. Thousands upon thousands are injured. Port-au-Prince has been flattened. There are millions of Haitians who need help NOW.

Here are three tips for you to consider as you find a way to help:

1. Donating cash to established relief organizations is the best way to help because it allows professionals to get exactly what they need and does not use up scarce resources such as transportation, staff time or warehouse space.
   
2. If you decide to donate supplies and not cash, contact an established relief organization before you collect anything. If you have already collected items, donate them to a relief organization within your community or sell them at a yard sale or charity auction and donate the proceeds.
   
3. People who want to volunteer should have previous disaster or international experience or technical skills and should work through a relief organization. More information is available from the Center for International Disaster Information.

BDPAers can also help immediately by donating to the Red Cross Haiti relief effort. Contribute online to the Red Cross, or donate $10 to be charged to your cell phone bill by texting "HAITI" to "90999."

Find more ways to help through the Center for International Disaster Information. Families of Americans living in Haiti are encouraged to contact the State Department at (888) 407-4747.

Here are organizations that BDPAers can contact if they want to help the people in Haiti:

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PARTNERS IN HEALTH
P.O. Box 845578
Boston, MA 02284-5578
NGO run by almost-USAID director Paul Farmer providing health resources to Haiti since 1985.

OXFAM AMERICA
226 Causeway St., 5th Floor
Boston, MA 02114-2206
Charity devoted to stopping hunger and providing nutrition to communities in crisis.

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS USA/MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES (MSF)
333 7th Avenue, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10001-5004
Traditional, yet innovative medical providers spread across the globe.

SAVE THE CHILDREN
Haiti Earthquake Children in Emergency Fund
54 Wilton Road
Westport, CT 06880
Children-focused relief agency with a special earthquake fund.

THE SALVATION ARMY
615 Slaters Lane; P.O. Box 269
Alexandria, VA 22313
Church-based coordinator of health and family services.

WORLD VISION
Haiti Earthquake Relief
P.O. Box 9716
Federal Way, Wash. 98063-9716

U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF
125 Maiden Lane
New York, N.Y. 10038
Charity specifically targeting children—providing educational materials, food, water and medicine.

YELE HAITI
Text YELE to 501501 to donate $5
Charity operated by Wyclef Jean

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Please let us know if you are aware of other ways that BDPAers can help the people of Haiti as they cope with this disastrous 7.0 magnitude earthquake.