Texting to Help in Haiti

On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, the country of Haiti was rocked by a major earthquake that left so much destruction in its wake that it's been labeled a complete catastrophe. The earthquake was a 7.0 magnitude, which is the most powerful to hit the country in about a century. And at last count, authorities estimated that there could be hundreds of thousands dead.

As an American, I have to admit that I'm at a bit of a loss as to what I can do to help. I know watching the reports tears at my heart, and if I had the capability, I would be among those going to the country to try and help in relief efforts. However, there are many people who are concerned but unable to physically help. So what else is there left to do?

A major way people can help is to donate money, and with today's technology, it couldn't be easier. We should try to beware of any scams, unfortunately, but there are at least two extremely easy ways to donate with the use of a cell phone and just ten dollars.

Texting HAITI to 90999

This is definitely a legitimate way to donate that is sponsored by the US Government itself. You can visit their website (listed at the end of this article) for more details. If you simply text the word HAITI to 90999, $10 will go to the International Red Cross, and it appears as a charge on your cell phone bill the following month.

Texting YELE to 501501

This also is a legitimate way to donate that is safe and effective. By using this texting command, you will donate $5 to Yele Haiti, which is a non-profit organization that was started by Wyclef Jean, who is a Haiti native and a member of the music group The Fugees. This charge also appears on your cell phone bill the following month.

At times like this, we all want to help but sometimes are not sure how. What could be easier than sending a simple and fast text for a small amount of money? Every little bit helps, but it also pays to make sure that your donation is truly being used to help the cause. The above two texting options will do just that.

Sources:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/12/haiti.earthquake/index.html

http://www.state.gov/p/wha/ci/ha/index.htm

http://www.yele.org/