Etsy Sellers Raise Money for Haiti Earthquake Victims

Etsy is not only a marketplace for all things handmade, vintage and supplies, but it's also a wonderful community. In the past year I've seen Etsyians, as they are called, help each other with fund raising, buying from shops having hard times financially, and even giving up trade secrets to help others in the Etsy community. After the earthquake in Haiti a few members wanted to help raise money. A new shop called Hearts for Haiti was started.

Hearts for Haiti is a collective of many Etsy artists and vintage sellers. Each seller donates an item and offers free shipping. The theme is hearts for Valentine's Day, but all donations are welcome. The money is sent to a special account set up just for this shop. After Paypal and Etsy fees are deducted the remainder is transferred to a bank account set up just for this purpose and the money is donated to Doctors Without Borders.

Doctors Without Borders was created in 1971 in France. They provide assistance to people in more than 60 countries whose people are threatened by disasters, poor health care, or violence. They bring medical care to people in need regardless of religion, political affiliation, or race.

There are twenty volunteers who run Hearts for Haiti on Etsy. The list can be found on their blog. Sellers send an email to the shop volunteers with all the required information for the listing, but it can still take a volunteer five to ten minutes for each listing. With over 700 listings right now, you can imagine these volunteers have spent countless hours on this shop.

As of January 22, 2009 Hearts for Haiti has sold over 1000 items and raised nearly $12,500 for Doctors Without Borders. A scanned copy of the receipt for the first cashier's check to be donated is available on their blog. As a transfer from Paypal to a bank account takes a few days, look for more checks to be sent soon.

Members of Etsy from all over the world have donated items for the shop. Items donated include jewelry, vintage treasures, stationary, fine art, photography, hair bows, home decor and so much more. You can buy a unique item, save a few dollars on shipping, and help Doctors Without Borders at the same time.