How to Help: Earthquake Relief

In the wake of another devastating earthquake after the one in Haiti, there is more need than ever before for relief. Many relief agencies are short on cash and are asking for donations to help not only the citizens of the countires affected, but also their family members. There are many ways you can help from the comfort of your own home. Not that it's a bad thing to want to jump on a plane and rush down to the likes of Chile and Haiti to help in the quake aftermaths, but many relief agencies are saying that th best thing you can do is donate your money and time locally rather than clogging the airports and preventing doctors and the like from making their way there too.

Text Messaging: Text messaging is probably the easiest and most effective way to get your money into the right hands very quickly. To help with the most recent earthquake in Chile, texting "CHILE" to 52000, no matter what network you're on, will automatically donate $10 to the Salvation Army for the funds. A full list of numbers and charities are availble online if you simply Google something like "Chile Earthquake Relief Text" or "Haiti Earthquake Relief Text."

Google: The next option is to donate through Google. Google supports two major nonprofit organizations: CARE and UNICEF. All proceeds donated through Google will go directly to their respective charities. Many organizations take a cut of what is donated to them to pay for administrative costs, but both CARE and UNICEF do not have such practices.

Legitimate Sites: Be wary of online scam organizations trying to profit from your good will. After it was revealed that the Wyclef charity during the Haitian earthquake aftermath was taking a large percentage of profits from donations after they publicly stated they didn't, it's tough to figure out which charities are legitimate and which ones are out to scam you out of your funds. An entire list of trusted organizations can be found at either http://www.google.com/relief/chileearthquake/ or http://www.google.com/relief/haitiearthquake/ to support either earthquake relief fund. There are also lists of other methods to go about helping.

The last thing you can try to do is find a charity or organization locally that is sending relief supplies overseas. Donating your time to pack boxes and trucks will help just as much as a cash donation would.

Remember, every little bit helps and your charity is always welcomed in nations that can't afford to rebuild after something as devastating as an earthquake hits.