EASY way to help Haiti [merged]

[lvhmbh]

Glynda, that is awful. I had a discussion the other night with a woman who was upset that Royal Carib went to their private island a couple of days after the quake. She said "I'm sure the Haitians are not happy about it". Why not? They employ 500 Haitians plus they brought much needed food and water plus they donated all profits from Labadee (their island) to the relief fund, and are continuing to do so. When asked by a cruiser a Haitain worker said he was extremely glad to see Royal Carib there as he would have some money to send over the mountains to his homeless family. Linda

 

[Glynda]

Grrrr....

Glynda, that is awful. I had a discussion the other night with a woman who was upset that Royal Carib went to their private island a couple of days after the quake. She said "I'm sure the Haitians are not happy about it". Why not? They employ 500 Haitians plus they brought much needed food and water plus they donated all profits from Labadee (their island) to the relief fund, and are continuing to do so. When asked by a cruiser a Haitain worker said he was extremely glad to see Royal Carib there as he would have some money to send over the mountains to his homeless family. Linda

Yes, there are many who profit from the continuation of the cruise ships as well as businesses like that my husband is a part of which employ Haitians. Sadly, while his plants weren't destroyed or his employees killed, the company he works for can't wait for repairs to the infrastructure; they've got to find someone else to make the product immediately. Employees are showing up each day hoping to work but it's impossible right now. However, the company is providing each employee with food and water for a family of four per day.

I wish I knew how to get attention to the media about Hilton taking advantage the way they are. Grrrrr.

 

[MuranoJo]

I will never forget not giving that woman that one dollar. It hurt my soul.

Zac, this struck a chord. When visiting other countries, and our own cities in the U.S., we have also been faced with this. At some point, you just have to shut down the wallet and leave. (But it doesn't mean you will forever close out the faces or voices begging for help.) Yes, I have handed over money knowing it may not be used for food, but we'd never know that for sure. To me, it's worth it to at least try to help.

 

[LisaH]

I am hardly a miser or hard hearted, but I will not give to Haiti relief for the same reason I do not give money to panhandlers. Haiti is a failed state, and until the Haitians pull themselves up by their bootstraps and put a government in place that's slightly better than "criminal," I think it is a waste of resources.

I encourage you to give to the American Red Cross as the OP suggested at the very beginning of this thread. The money will be managed by the Red Cross, not the Haitian government.

 

[Jimster]

Haiti

Three weeks ago I bet 90% of Americans couldn't find Haiti on a map. Three weeks ago Haiti still suffered terrible poverty and privation. This is a condition they had been in for decades without our help. I also find it ironic that we have delivered more food and materials in a short period of time to the Haitians than we did to our own people in New Orleans after Katrina. With 10% unemployment in the USA and over 2 milion foreclosures, I would rather make sure my fellow Americans have food to eat. That is not to say I don't feel some sympathy for the Haitians but there are finite resources and infinite needs for those resources. It wasnt too long ago there were stories in the press saying how we would redirect the refugee boats from Haiti right back to Haiti rather than help them or let them land in the USA. This was in stark contrast to the Cuban boatlift which we welcomed with open arms despite the fact many of them were from Castro's prisons, hospitals and mental institutions. Where was the outcry to help the desperate people of Haiti then? Where were the pleas to help the starving people of Haiti then? I am afraid that in 6 months, the people of Haiti will again sink below the consciousness of the world and they will continue to be one of the poorest countries in the world. By then the people who want to help will have found another more pressing cause.

 

[Zac495]

Three weeks ago I bet 90% of Americans couldn't find Haiti on a map. Three weeks ago Haiti still suffered terrible poverty and privation. This is a condition they had been in for decades without our help. I also find it ironic that we have delivered more food and materials in a short period of time to the Haitians than we did to our own people in New Orleans after Katrina. With 10% unemployment in the USA and over 2 milion foreclosures, I would rather make sure my fellow Americans have food to eat. That is not to say I don't feel some sympathy for the Haitians but there are finite resources and infinite needs for those resources. It wasnt too long ago there were stories in the press saying how we would redirect the refugee boats from Haiti right back to Haiti rather than help them or let them land in the USA. This was in stark contrast to the Cuban boatlift which we welcomed with open arms despite the fact many of them were from Castro's prisons, hospitals and mental institutions. Where was the outcry to help the desperate people of Haiti then? Where were the pleas to help the starving people of Haiti then? I am afraid that in 6 months, the people of Haiti will again sink below the consciousness of the world and they will continue to be one of the poorest countries in the world. By then the people who want to help will have found another more pressing cause.

Certainly some truth to this.
And we can only do so much - there are few (myself not included) who will give up their own financial security for others. I will continue to put my family first because i can't save the world.

I read the NY times each morning - not cover to cover - but the front page at least. I knew where Haiti was. EDUCATE yourselves people. Tug is one of my favorite places - I like reading things from Haiti to timeshares to how to get a stain out of a shirt - but it can't replace understanding what's going on in our world and our government. When you go out to vote - KNOW what you're talking about. Too many vote their party without knowledge. Just make the NY times your homepage - just read 5 minutes.

Of course Haiti will continue to be poor. But we've ignored people all over the world when it doesn't hit our own pocketbook in this country. That doesn't mean we shouldn't help now. Just help. Don't analyze. Just think of it this way - a little boy crying in the streets - just like your little boy. Send 10 dollars for him. And if it doesn't get to him - you tried. And the Red Cross is helping Americans, too.

 

[Patri]

I find it incredible that people begrudge $10 or $100 to a suffering nation, when that pocket money will not change the giver's style of life one iota.
Just read about a local church that had a missions team scheduled to go down there, but of course plans were off. However, it raised $25,000 over the weekend, some members flew to Dominican Republic, then purchased and delivered to its Haitian church connection thousands of pounds of food and water. People with a heart took action!
The recipients will live for at least a few more days. Some child, probably sleeping outdoors, will not go to bed hungry.

 

[ScoopKona]

Just think of it this way - a little boy crying in the streets - just like your little boy. Send 10 dollars for him. And if it doesn't get to him - you tried. And the Red Cross is helping Americans, too.

I have X amount of money for charitable donations. I also donate time (working in soup kitchens and such). My X isn't going to change. I can only do so much, and I'm horrendously underemployed.

Using your example, let's say there were TWO little boys, crying on two separate streets. ONE of them had adults with machine guns waiting to steal that money. The other looked like he and his street was getting his act in gear. Which would you suggest I give to, then?

Face it, there are millions of people crying in the streets. My impoverished corner of the world that I try to help is East Africa. Yours is Haiti. I think my dollar goes farther in Rwanda than it would in Haiti. Fifteen years ago, when I had the misfortune of visiting Rwanda, my dollar would have gone farther in Haiti. So it goes...


EDIT -- PS -- I don't even know what to think about this thread's title. I don't think there IS an easy way to help Haiti. Perhaps I'm just being a gadfly...

 

[caribbeansun]

Indeed!

What's more incredible is that they then feel the need to try to discourage others from giving - if you have decided not to support the cause that's certainly your right and I respect that. Trying to discourage others is distasteful at the extreme.

I find it incredible that people begrudge $10 or $100 to a suffering nation, when that pocket money will not change the giver's style of life one iota.

 

[Zac495]

Indeed!

What's more incredible is that they then feel the need to try to discourage others from giving - if you have decided not to support the cause that's certainly your right and I respect that. Trying to discourage others is distasteful at the extreme.

Caribbean - I was trying to figure out how to say just that.
Certainly there are people who either really can't afford ten dollars (though then you shouldn't own a timeshare in my humble opinion) or they contribute heavily to other causes - and I respect that (though I would still push to contribute a little to any disaster if you can).

But let's leave out government corruption or other political feelings. People all over the world including our country need our help. If we can afford vacations, let's dig into our hearts and pocketbooks to help others eat.

 

[SueDonJ]

I happen to agree with those who say that in times of natural disasters, the political climate and everyday normalcy that the victims of disasters suffer with just shouldn't be a factor when determining whether we should contribute aid. But, that's our opinion.

Folks are entitled to disagree with that opinion. And the fact is, there are valid arguments for both sides here. Haitians do need immediate aid, but historically large amounts of money donated to Haitian relief efforts have "gone missing."

I think it's okay for some of us to say that we think giving aid despite the circumstances is the right thing to do, and by the same token I think it is certainly okay for others to say that the circumstances matter to them enough to question giving. The only problem I would have is if someone tried to tell me that my opinion is the incorrect one, but I don't see Scoop doing that. He's saying why he's not giving; he's not telling us not to give.

On one level, I see posts such as Scoop's and Jim's on the same level as the posts from those of us who are concerned with the percentage of monies that actually go to relief as opposed to administrative or fraudulent costs of the individual charities we've chosen for our donations. Aren't we all simply concerned with whether our donations will be able to do as much good as possible under the circumstances?

 

[Glynda]

Haiti

DH is going into Haiti from the DR today but only just across the border where the damage isn't as severe as near Port au Prince. The company's plants near the border are up and running well. However, the company plants near Port au Prince are not. 800 of the employees there lost their homes. The company is in the process of securing 800 stand-up-inside tents for each family. Apparently, some are afraid to leave the site of their fallen or damaged homes to return to work because they can not protect their personal property if they venture away.