Last week, Haiti was hit with a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that has devastated the region.
The pain and struggle of the island is felt all across the world.’ This shouldn’t be news to anyone; every major news outlet has picked up on the story. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
CNN has covered it non-stop since the quake hit last Tuesday, giving outsiders an intimate look at the death and devastation in the Port-au-Prince area.’
Haiti is a nation in need of aid on all fronts.
President Barack Obama has offered aid to the country that totals $100 million dollars. Celebrities such as George Clooney are organizing a mass telethon so people may contribute to the cause and a Red Cross fundraiser has raised $10 million dollars in a weeks time by having individuals who want to help donate $10 which is automatically added to their cell phone bill.
Displaced Haitians are in dire need of food, water, and shelter.’ ‘
In this time of need, all possible donations are being accepted by numerous charitable agencies, but some digression should be considered when choosing an appropriate charity.’
There are individuals out there constantly seeking to capitalize and profit off the generosity of others especially in times of tragedy.
The FBI has issued a statement warning of potential scams and that people should maintain a diligent eye in evaluating what organizations to donate to.’
The number one warning sign that people should be wary of is donation requests that come in the form of unsolicited emails from unfamiliar sources or from individuals claiming to be victims of the disaster.
People should investigate the non-profit organizations through the Internet, preferably through independent websites.’
Above all else, those wanting to donate should preserve a level of common sense.
While Haiti is experiencing this incomprehensible time of need, Americans are facing the greatest economic struggle since the Great Depression.’
Millions of our citizens are unemployed and struggle to pay the bills and keep roofs over their head.’
Obviously, not every American can donate to the Haitian cause when they’re looking for help themselves. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
However, there are plenty of us who can spare the $10 to give to a charity that supports the victims in Haiti and to also help individuals in our own country who are facing hard times.
In order to not become too preachy about the general morals of our country, I just want to say that we should shed ourselves of our greedy nature and consider all those who suffer: from the United States to Haiti and all the way to Korea.’
When we are the ones that suffer, we will beg for their help just as they do us. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Do the right thing.
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