On January 11th, 2010, the PBS Newshour aired a segment on Haiti and how, despite years of violent coups and civil unrest, have finally attained enough stability to garner interest from international investors interested in bringing their various businesses into the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. With the aid of Bill Clinton, the recently appointed U.N. special envoy to Haiti, investors from Brazil, Ireland, Korea, and other nations have been touring Haiti. Said Bill Clinton in the Newshour segment, "We know that this is a great opportunity not only for investors to come
and make a profit, but for the people of Haiti to have a more secure
and a more broadly shared, prosperous future."
Then, on January 12th, 2010, the bottom fell out of their hopes for rebuilding and possible prosperity, as a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked this tiny island nation. Doesn't it just seem that the destitute in this world, even in the face of hope, continually get the shaft? Usually it's just other people crushing the poor underfoot, but this time good ol' mother nature decided to take a shit on Haiti.
Well, despite all of the horrific images on television and in the papers, and the corresponding sense of helplessness that accompanies such mind-blowing tragedies, you can actually make a difference in a very simple way. Charity has caught up with this internet age and has learned to utilize people's texting obsession to help garner funds for the needy. Charities such as the American Red Cross or the Salvation Army have offered cell phone users the chance to send a text, which will transfer a specified amount of money to help the relief efforts in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. American Red Cross spokeswoman Abi Weaver reported that so many Americans were texting their pledge to donate $10 from their upcoming cell phone bill that it amounted to $100,000 an hour, to the tune of $10 million total---in just 3 days! “It has become the single largest mobile donation campaign ever,” said Hillary Clinton, who recently visited Haiti. Jim Manis, head of the Mobile Giving Foundation, first tested out text donations after the 2004 Asian tsunami and managed to raise $150,000. He is now heading up the current U.S. text-to-give campaign and says of this new philanthropic phenomenon: “These are emotional events and people want to reach out and help but sometimes they can’t -- they don’t have a credit card or they forget to write a check or go online to make a donation." But cell phones, love them or hate them, are a part of our daily existence, and have now become a real tool for doing good. Imagine that!
So, interested in making a difference via text message? Try out these organizations:
- Text "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross.
- Text "Yele" to 501501 to donate $5 to "Yele Haiti, a group founded by former Fugees singer Wyclef Jean, who has Haitian roots, raised more than $2 million by Friday", reports Business World Online. The text message can be resent up to six times.
- Text "HAITI" to 20222 to donate money to the Clinton Foundation.
- Text "HAITI" to 85944 to donate money to the International Medical Corps.
- Text "HAITI" to 25383 to donate money to the International Rescue Committee.
- Text "HAITI" to 52000 to donate money to the Salvation Army.
For a more comprehensive list, click on the following link to see more organizations that you can also text to donate money, such as Habitat for Humanity or UNICEF, to name a few:
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