“Have you been watching the news?”, my brother-in-law asks. The same heart-wrenching news of helplessness we’ve all been watching over the last three days.
“Of course,” I respond, the emotion-laden voice of a CNN broadcaster dispatching from Port-au-Prince in the background.
“I want to help so badly,” he continues.
“All you can do at this point is send some money,” I tell him. “Money is really needed right now.”
“But it just doesn’t feel enough,” was his reply.
It doesn’t feel enough…
I share his sentiment fully. With scenes of desperation constantly flashed across the screen, survivors fighting to stay alive, lying next to the dead, children clinging to injured mothers, newly-made amputees with nothing more than cloth wrapped around severed limbs, lack of electricity, limited food and water supplies, destroyed roads…..sending money just doesn’t feel enough.
In times of disaster, we naturally tend to quantify our response. No amount of aid or assistance we offer seem enough. One fact we also have to realize is that each situation initially poses a different set of challenges, and in the case of Haiti, complex on-the-ground logistics has made reaching victims extremely challenging; victims who also need immediate medical attention, food, shelter, and clean water.
That’s why the best way to help right now is to send some money. The money will go to organizations better equipped to figure out the logistics nightmare.
How You Can Help Right Now
- Matador Change is currently working with the Haitian Consul General of New York to identify the most pressing needs of the people. We’re also seeking qualified and skilled professionals like doctors, nurses, and engineers who might be able to help. Please contact Julie directly at matadorhaiti@gmail.com
- You can text donations to the following organizations:
- text “Yele” to 501501 to donate $5 to Yele
- text “HAITI” to “90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross
- text “HAITI” to 864833 to donate $5 to United Way
- text “HAITI” to 85944 to donate $10 to International Medical Corps
- CNN put together a comprehensive list of aid organizations currently responding to the Haiti relief efforts, and these organizations have been categorized by services being provided: basic needs, shelter, medical aid, and food.
Remember, rebuilding Haiti will take years. Sending some money today will go a long way in cleaning up and providing medical aid until it’s physically feasible for you to go there yourself to help.