Crystal from MoneySavingMom put out a call last night to other bloggers to help her in an effort to raise money for the people in Haiti who are suffering after the earthquake, and I’m joining with her and a bunch of other bloggers. You can help too.
Here’s how it’ll work.
1. See if you can scrounge up some money to donate to Haiti relief (even if you live on a really tight budget, maybe you could give up coffee for a week, drink tap water for the next week, fast for a meal, eat from your pantry, or skip a dinner out?). Then donate that money to a reputable organization that is providing relief to those affected by the earthquake.
2. If you’ve got a blog, write up a blog post about your donation, and enter the link to that blog post in the linky widget below. If you don’t have a blog, just leave me a comment telling me what you’re doing to help those in Haiti.
Why should you tell me?
Because from now until January 21st, for every person that donates and lets me know, I’m going to contribute $1 to Living Water’s Haiti Response Fund. Clean water is in short supply in Haiti even under normal conditions, so as you can imagine, it’s very hard to come by right now. I’ve got some money saved up in my camera fund, and I would be thrilled to pieces if you all donated so much that I have to deplete my fund (because, um, a new camera body is not nearly as important as helping the people in Haiti).
Here are some suggested charities, though you certainly can feel free to choose another responsible charity.
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We donated to Catholic relief services 2 days ago. If I had a blog I’d participate!
That totally counts! As I said in my post, non-bloggers can just leave a comment letting me know they donated.
What a wonderful thing to do! My birthday is Saturday any my husband and I were all set to go out. I even had a coupon for a free birthday meal for me from the restaurant we were going to, but last night I told him that I did not want to go out but instead wanted to donate the amount of money we would have spent on the meal to Haiti. I sent $50 to Compassion International for their Haiti relief projects.
I donated to the Red Cross, and plan to contribute more to Doctors Without Borders. Good luck on your fundraising effort!
I donated to Doctors Without Borders on Wednesday and will donate to Cathloic Relief Services today (borrowing ahead on our contributions from next weeks paycheck).
I will donate at my office, they match us dollar for dollar, so that is pretty cool of them. also while i am on this subject, our firm also gives us 40 hours per year paid – which we are supposed to volunteer to charitable causes.
Not vacation time – that’s separate. time we should leave work to give to the community near or far. probably there will be colleagues who will go to Haiti.
One of my colleagues is Hatian, and it is not presently clear if some of his family members are ok.
you are doing a great thing here Kristen. you really are.
Great idea posting this!
I donated to Mercy Corps, Doctors without Borders and Partners in Health. I’ll probably give some more when I get paid next.
Stephanie
I’m giving an unrestricted donation to Doctors Without Borders. MSF (to use the French acronym, since they’re a French organization) because they’ve been on the ground for a long time, and so know how to operate in that environment and Haitians know to go to them. Unrestricted because 1. I trust MSF to decide appropriately how to use their resources and 2. big charities may get so many donations that they can’t effectively use them all (this happened with the 2004 tsunami, and the Red Cross got into a lot of trouble when they tried to redirect the funds).
Wherever the disaster, please consider giving to charities that already have operations in the area. Since they already know how to operate in the area and have people familiar with the territory, they can get to work faster and more efficiently.
Frugal Pleasures, you have a great employer.
Agreed…Living Water already works in Haiti. They’re busy working to repair wells to service 250,000 people, I think.
I donated through Compassion International and the Red Cross.Thanks for doing this!
We donated through Crisis Response International (CRI). They sent a team down yesterday to assist with search and rescue. Thanks for doing this!
I gave to the Red Cross via text message and will be looking into other places to donate today.
We are donating via text message and Feed My Starving Children.
I tend to only donate to the Salvation Army and won’t be increasing it for this. I hope that when Haiti is rebuilt it is rebuilt as a new and less corrupt country.
We are donating $50 to Red Cross. My mom doesnt have time to leave comments on the blogs that are doing this project so she told me (her son age 18) to leave a comment on all of them. i think what you all are doing is great. God bless you and good luck. We are praying that Haiti keeps getting help and other ppl help to.
I joined my college alumni group in donating to Concern Worldwide to help the relief effort. My company will be matching my contribution dollar for dollar!
Gave $100 through my office and they matched my contribution…
We took money from our long saved for vacation fund and donated it to the Red Cross locally for Haiti.
I completely agree with williamb re donating to organizations established in Haiti. We chose catholic relief services for that reason as 80% of haitians are catholic and 93% of donations to crs go to services for the people vs administration costs and fund raising. Go to the bbb to find info on any charitable organization.
I donated $25 to Living Water this morning. I first heard about this charity through your blog and think their mission is so important.
i am helping by rounding up all our change and donating that with our regular donations to salvation army. i am also donating by using mypoints and some of my survey sites.
Our church is collecting 20 lbs bags of rice and bottled water. A church in North Carolina is heading down there with the items. We will be donating to that. My husband went on a mission trip to Haiti a few years ago and now we sponsor a boy in Haiti. I pray that he is ok.
Thanks for the challenge. I’m trying to think of something creative to put on my blog.
We donated to the US fund for UNICEF and also to a local (Kentucky)-based charity called Ten Kids whose goal is to provide a safe home, education, etc. to Ten Kids http://www.tenkids.org/. I like the idea of giving to an organization meeting general needs of the people of Haiti and to one meeting the needs of specific children. We are so blessed–I can’t imagine the losses of the Haitian people.
We donated to the American Red Cross this morning. Thanks for using your blog to help convince people to donate.
i donated to the RED CROSS
I donated $35 to Oxfam this morning. I feel so lucky and blessed with what I have, even though I am far from rich. The suffering suffering there is so great. So many people here do not realize just how much they have compared to the rest of the world.
Good luck with your donations!
I’m donating through Compassion. Thank you for what you’re doing here!!
we donated through Compassion.
Our family donated to Red Cross today and I made a post on FB to encourage my friends to donate.
Samaritan’s Purse is my favorite relief organization (Operation Christmas Child being part of their amazing, God-centered ministry). SP is headed by Billy Graham’s son, Franklin Graham, and relief work is their specialty. Don’t just give, but give with confidence to a non-profit who does everything under the anointing of prayer & with great integrity! samaritanspurse.org
I donated to Samaritan’s Purse as well. They are already there on the ground working to provide clean water and shelter for the many, many victims.
I donated through the Red Cross, and have left comments on any blog that is doing the same as you. Thank you!
I donated on Wednesday to Doctors without Borders.
Praying. Just sent my text to the Red Cross, posted Crystals link on my facebook so that others can find a way to contribute that works for them. Will be looking for other ways to donate via the blogs linked up. Thanks to you and everyone who is partnering to bring help to the people of Haiti.
Our family is planning to give. Our church ususally takes up an offering for disasters like this, so we plan to give through our church. They give the money to a missionary or organization they trust to help distribute the money. If our church doesn’t take up an offering, we plan to donate the money through Compassion Int. Thank you for your generous heart.
We contributed and I linked up, and just found out my husband’s company is doing matching donations, so we’ll do that, too.
we dontated thru the Greater Good Network & the American Red Cross… keep praying!
A local Christian radio station works with Food for the Poor and especially for Haiti year round. They did a special radiothon yesterday for the organization to help with relief and we donated $20 for Haiti.
We donated to the Red Cross via text message, and are sending up prayers! Bless all you wonderful bloggers for pulling together to do something incredible.
Kristen,
We donated through Catholic Relief Services. Thank you for this idea. Just started reading your blog and I love it.
Julie
My heart is breaking for the Haitian people. I pray that the Lord will bless and keep them safe. I have contributed to the American Red Cross and encourage others to do the same.
We donated to the Red Cross International fund. Fabulous idea to raise money through other people donating money!
I dnoated through Compassion.
What a wonderful thing you are doing. I just donated to Doctors Without Borders. We could only do 10$ right now but I’m sure every bit helps!
Thank you for everything that you are you doing. We plan on donating through the red cross.
I am donating through Doctors without Borders. I love your blog.
We’re donating to Compassion International’s relief fund. We support a Child Survival Program in Haiti, and some friends of ours sponsor a little boy who lives there. I’ve also heard good things about Cure, and I’m going to look into that. Thank you!
I donated to humanesociety.org; they happened to have a vet team in the Dominican Republic at the time and want to send them to Haiti.
As I go through the blogosphere today, I amazed at the generous and concerned people I find. Praise the Lord!
Our family is sending up prayers to the One who can do the most!!
Our church also took and sent contributions in.
My heart breaks especially for the little ones affected. We truly are blessed and I am thankful that we are able to bless others in return!
I am donating to the red cross and my churchs humanitarian aid. I am also posting a comment on all the blogs that are donating. Thanks
We donate through World Vision.
We donated to Samaritan’s Purse. It’ a great organization!
Thanks for helping the people of Haiti!
(I have donated to the American Red Cross and to Compassion International.)
I don’t have a blog but wanted to leave my comment. We donated to the Red Cross and are working with our school to do some fundraising there as well. What a wonderful thing you are doing!
I would have linked to my blog but can’t figure out how.We are donating on Sunday at church through the Anglican Church of Canada’s PWRDF – Primate’s World Relief and Disaster Fund. The Anglican Church of Canada has long-standing ties to aid Haiti. God bless all your efforts!
I can’t imagine what those affected by the earthquake are going through. Thank you for helping!
I donated through the Red Cross website. Thanks!
I made donations today to the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders.
I donated to the Red Cross. Thanks for doing this!
It’s a sad day for our school community. One of our teachers lost two relatives and our daughter’s best friend lost her cousin. We took up a collection today in the school and it will be forwarded to Episcopal Relief and Development Fund, http://www.er-d.org/, through the National Association of Episcopal Schools.
I will be donating through ag.org (Assemblies of God).
Due to our financial situation, I am visiting as many blogs as possible and commenting to help raise donations. Bless you for not only helping but providing a way for everyone to help too!
I donated to Catholic Relief Services which will go directly to Haiti, and my son is going to donate the charity portion of his allowance to Haiti.
You’re doing a great thing!
I donated all my swagbucks for the cause, posted about this drive on Facebook, and plan to donate money, though still deciding which organization to donate through. Thanks for doing this.
I was able to donate my swagbucks and am also commenting on blogs to help raise money for Haiti!
We gave to Red Cross via txt and YeleHaiti via txt. Thanks for your efforts!
Thank you for all you are doing. I am praying for the people in Haiti. I donated $10 via text to the Red Cross for Haiti. I posted on Facebook and challenged others to donate. I am also visiting other blogs like this to help with donations.
My husband is a Haitian American, and we are devastated by this disaster.
I appreicate all you do and keeping people in Haiti in your prayers. We donated to Red Cross and Direct Relief International. We are also planning on donating to other organizations as well. Again, thank you for your help.
Thank you for making comment-fueled donations! I donated via text & am commenting on blogs in order to increase the donation potential
I donated to Samaritan’s Purse.
I’ve donated through CAMA Services, a relief and development organization that I’ve worked with for the past seven years in Southeast Asia. I’ve seen firsthand how the organization is responsible with its resources and its witness! http://www.camaservices.org
I gave to Oxfam and Episcopal Relief and Development.
I decided to donate to ‘Doctors without Borders.’ Thanks for all you are doing!!
January and February are some of my biggest sales months because of Valentine’s Day. I’ll be donating 15% of all my sales during those months to Partners in Health. As of today, I’ve donated $100, and there will be more to come.
We have donated to the Red Cross and were pleased that the Canadian government will “match the contributions of individuals to eligible Canadian charitable organizations”. This in effect will double our donation.
I donated my Swagbuck points to the cause and am commenting on generous blogs like yours.
I have donated to Haiti through the Red Cross, and by giving a bag of toiletries to a donation drive at the Haitian Embassy in D.C.
We donated to Chances for Children, a ministry that runs an orphanage outside Port au Prince:
http://chances4childrendonations.blogspot.com/
A family from our homeschool group recently adopted two precious children from there. Bless you for all you are doing to help.
I’m giving to the Red Cross and the LDS Church. Thanks for doing this!
I donated to the Red Cross, and I’m going to clean out my pantry of non-perishables to take to the local drop-off center!
Thanks for doing this!
We donated through CrossWorld International and are praying.
Thank you for your generosity.
We donated through International Childcare Ministries and the So. Baptist Int’l Mission Board. Also, our family is committed to praying for the people of Haiti and relief workers in the area… it does make a difference!
Donated to Lutheran World Relief via the Thrivent website. Thrivent is donating $1 for every $2 their members donate.
What a wonderful thing you are doing. I pray for all of those in Haiti.
we’ve donated to mtw, samaritan’s purse & our local church that has a medical center and church in haiti.
I spoke at church today and asked everyone to donate what they can. I posted web addresses for reliable aid organizations on the bulletin board there and handed out flyers with that same information. My family and I have donated to the American Red Cross and to Doctors Without Borders.
We are praying and made a donation through Food for the Hungry http://www.foodforthehungry.org/
I am donating to Samaritan’s Purse. Thank you for doing this.
Great work. This is a fantastic way of helping. Good job.
Thanks so much for this timely and important message, Kristen! I LOVE Doctors Without Borders (http://bit.ly/6tCOkG) and Heifer International. Heifer is not a “first responder,” like Doctors Without Borders, but they have projects that provide families with farm animals and training. Donations to Heifer will help Haitian families recover in the wake of the earthquake (http://bit.ly/579YnG).
We donated supplies for care packages being made at my daughter’s school,