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doGooD

Beach Fanatic
Mar 26, 2008
296
138
Santa Rosa Beach
UPS is shipping anything under 50lbs for free to Haiti. You can send food clothes or shoes...and American Airlines is taking doctors and nurses to Haiti for free. Please call 212-697-9767. Spread the word...Red Cross needs Creole speaking volunteers for a 24hr phone bank. Call Mr. Wilfrid @ 305-776-6900 ASAP...Please Repost this Info on your Social Network.
 

Jdarg

SoWal Expert
Feb 15, 2005
18,038
1,980
The State Dept. has a good link on guidelines for helping: (please note that they do not encourage individuals mailing clothing, shoes, etc. to Haiti!)

How To Help | InterAction

The media attention that often follows an international disaster brings about a compassionate response from Americans. However, many are not sure of how they can best support the efforts of groups and governments responding in a crisis. This page offers recommendations on the most appropriate ways any of us can help. In almost every situation, cash donations are better than donated goods or services for reasons outlined below.
For specific information on current crises, visit our Disaster Response page for a list of events to which InterAction members are responding and links to their websites on how you can help.

Why Cash is Best
The best way to help is to donate financially to organizations responding to a disaster. Cash allows relief professionals to procure exactly what is needed in a disaster situation and ensure that donations are culturally, dietary, and environmentally appropriate. Cash donations do not use up other scarce resources, such as transportation, staff time or warehouse space. As needed, cash can also be transferred quickly to where needed, helping bolster the economy of the disaster-stricken region.

Material Donations

Material donations from individuals consist of new or used items that are donated to a relief effort. If you do decide to donate materials rather than cash, then there are steps you can take to ensure that your donation is made in such a way as to benefit the affected people while avoiding some of the problems often associated with donated material.

The most important step when donating materials is to contact an established, professional relief organization before you collect anything.

If you have already collected materials to donate, it can be put to their best possible use—and have the greatest impact economically—if donated to local charitable organizations within your own community or sold in a charity auction/yard sale with the proceeds donated to the disaster relief organization of your choice. (Advertising it as a yard sale to support the victims of a disaster might increase turnout.)

Volunteering

In the aftermath of humanitarian crises, it is critical that the response of the international community is immediate and well-coordinated in order to save as many lives as possible.

  • Volunteers are asked to have previous disaster or international experience or technical skills (for example, medicine, communications, logistics, water/sanitation, engineering), and are usually from neighboring communities not affected by the disaster.
  • Well-intentioned foreigners, lacking technical skills, disaster experience and familiarity with the local culture and language, can seriously complicate relief efforts.
  • Those with technical skills or international experience who would like to volunteer should register with the Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI) after reading this page.
 

doGooD

Beach Fanatic
Mar 26, 2008
296
138
Santa Rosa Beach
I am terribly confused, as I just called UPS and they said shipment to Haiti is suspended.

I am investigating further and will post.
 

Jdarg

SoWal Expert
Feb 15, 2005
18,038
1,980
I am terribly confused, as I just called UPS and they said shipment to Haiti is suspended.

I am investigating further and will post.

It makes total sense - they probably have no way to sort/deliver there, or even have buildings. I know everyone that is trying to send stuff straight to Haiti means well, but individuals and unorganized groups sending stuff just adds to the mess and confusion. Contribute through organized, experienced groups that can be specific about what they need, or better yet, donate cash!
 

Will B

Moderator
Jan 5, 2006
4,551
1,313
Atlanta, GA
UPS is shipping anything under 50lbs for free to Haiti. You can send food clothes or shoes...and American Airlines is taking doctors and nurses to Haiti for free. Please call 212-697-9767. Spread the word...Red Cross needs Creole speaking volunteers for a 24hr phone bank. Call Mr. Wilfrid @ 305-776-6900 ASAP...Please Repost this Info on your Social Network.

Not true about UPS. From CNN...

"Twitter users also circulated a rumor that UPS would ship for free any package under 50 lbs. to Haiti. In a blog post Wednesday on UPS's Web site, a spokeswoman debunked the rumor and said that destruction of Haiti's roads and communications networks "means our own shipping services to Haiti are on hold."

There is also a rumor that American and JetBlue are flying doctors to the area for free. Also, not true.

""Last night's hoax on Twitter about American and JetBlue flying doctors and nurses to Haiti for free was just that -- a hoax. We don't know who is responsible, but it's a very low thing to do," airline spokesman Tim Smith said in e-mails sent Thursday."

"A spokeswoman for JetBlue said the airline is flying relief workers from agencies such as the American Red Cross free of charge to Santo Domingo in the neighboring Dominican Republic, but only after they have been vetted by the Haitian Consulate. The consulate then arranges transportation for passengers from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince, she said."
 

scooterbug44

SoWal Expert
May 8, 2007
16,706
3,339
Sowal
They ceased operating commercial/shipping flights after the quake because they are using the planes/runways/personnel to fly in supplies and emergency & relief workers.

Please also remember that if you are making a monetary donation the credit card companies will take their usual cut. (They earn about $250 million a year from charitable donations the batturds!)

The ONLY exception is Capital One, who makes sure 100% of the money goes to the ACTUAL charity!
https://www.capitalone.com/give
 
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beachFool

Beach Fanatic
May 6, 2007
938
442
4 star charitable organizations and other thoughts

Some charities spend an inordinate amount of money on admin and fundraising.

I have always respected Doctors without Borders-www.doctorswithoutborders.com. They have very low admin costs also they have three hospitals in Hait and lost some of their staff.

My wife's cousin lives in Haiti-long story-she recommends Partners in Health-www.pih.org. We got a heart-rending email from her today.
One of Partners in Health staff members will be on Rachel Maddow's show tonight.

Yes, the credit card companies will take their cut but they always do. If you didn't worry about the merchant charges last Christmas then don't worry now.

Clothes-you are better off donating $50 in clothes to Caring and Sharing then sending the tax savings (12.50 -25% bracket) to a charity.

Clothes are a nice idea but would just be a nuisance.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Lynnie

SoWal Insider
Apr 18, 2007
8,151
434
SoBuc
This is a good one:

http://www.er-d.org/

Episcopal Relief and Development. Instead of a credit card transaction/payment (if you want your full donation to go for the cause), you can send a check.
 
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