# Haiti earthquakes \[How to help?\] **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 17, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/haiti-earthquakes-how-to-help/525352 "2010-01-17T20:50:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![History\_Monk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/67e7ee/32.png) [@History\_Monk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/History_Monk)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/haiti-earthquakes-how-to-help/525352/1 "2010-01-17T20:50:48Z")
Is there a way for someone who is essentially broke to help? I doubt that they need anything other than money, but I thought I’d ask. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/haiti-earthquakes-how-to-help/525352/2 "2010-01-17T23:07:24Z")
Can you donate spare time? Have you asked either your local charity for Haiti, or the local branch of a big charity like the Red Cross? Maybe the Red Cross could use blood, ask them. While the immediate concern is of course, finding the living, burying the dead, treating the wounded, giving water and food to the people and erect tents or similar, the middle-to long term goals of the aid organisations will be to rebuild the infrastructure of the country. For the long-term work, they might very well need somebody back home who types up reports and letters and writes fundraisers or does the bookkeeping on the money or answers the phone and puts news on the webpage. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/haiti-earthquakes-how-to-help/525352/3 "2010-01-17T23:18:43Z")
If your username indicates some formal education in history, I bet there are school or community groups that would welcome you in putting together and/or presenting information about the history of Haiti. You could help provide context for the fundraising or service projects they may be doing. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/haiti-earthquakes-how-to-help/525352/4 "2010-01-18T01:39:49Z")
**Harriet the Spry** , that’s a great idea. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![fruitbat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@fruitbat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fruitbat)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/haiti-earthquakes-how-to-help/525352/5 "2010-01-18T01:45:52Z")
If you live in the Boston, New York, Miami or DC metro areas you could have a tremendous impact working with local services serving immigrants from Haiti. Catholic Charities can often direct you, just helping with office work would be a great help. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/haiti-earthquakes-how-to-help/525352/6 "2010-01-18T02:40:26Z")
Since the OP is asking for advice, this is better suited for IMHO than GQ. I have also edited thread title to better indicate the subject. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![crystaljedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@crystaljedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crystaljedi)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/haiti-earthquakes-how-to-help/525352/7 "2010-01-18T02:53:46Z")
> [@History\_Monk](#): > > Is there a way for someone who is essentially broke to help? I doubt that they need anything other than money, but I thought I’d ask. we have no money here in the usa..no jobs..no good for nothin healthcare.. homless is on a huge rise..everything since sliced bread has gone up while unemployment follows..minimum wage and it’s embarssing peanut hourly raise every few years…that is like spitting in our faces.. taxes are everywhere i turn.. so i guess we actually pay 66.6% taxes of our earned money to the wrong people… in a nutshell, the disaster is here..how come we wont help our own people in our silent disaster here at home?? we are in bad shape who will help us? ---
**Author:** ![History\_Monk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/67e7ee/32.png) [@History\_Monk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/History_Monk)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/haiti-earthquakes-how-to-help/525352/8 "2010-01-18T04:48:06Z")
Thanks, everyone. About the only thing I can contribute is time (not expertise or anything) since I’m just a student. Keep 'em coming though. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/haiti-earthquakes-how-to-help/525352/9 "2010-01-18T08:57:56Z")
> [@crystaljedi](#): > > we have no money here in the usa..no jobs..no good for nothin healthcare.. homless is on a huge rise..everything since sliced bread has gone up while unemployment follows..minimum wage and it’s embarssing peanut hourly raise every few years…that is like spitting in our faces.. taxes are everywhere i turn.. so i guess we actually pay 66.6% taxes of our earned money to the wrong people… in a nutshell, the disaster is here..how come we wont help our own people in our silent disaster here at home?? we are in bad shape who will help us? You forgot rising rates of illiteracy. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/haiti-earthquakes-how-to-help/525352/10 "2010-01-18T16:35:25Z")
> [@crystaljedi](#): > > we have no money here in the usa..no jobs..no good for nothin healthcare.. homless is on a huge rise..everything since sliced bread has gone up while unemployment follows..minimum wage and it’s embarssing peanut hourly raise every few years…that is like spitting in our faces.. taxes are everywhere i turn.. so i guess we actually pay 66.6% taxes of our earned money to the wrong people… in a nutshell, the disaster is here..how come we wont help our own people in our silent disaster here at home?? we are in bad shape who will help us? [Moderating] Please confine your remarks to the subject of the OP. If you want to discuss broader issues, open another thread. Colibri Moderator ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/haiti-earthquakes-how-to-help/525352/11 "2010-01-18T17:07:31Z")
I wish I had money to help. I wish I had faith to pray. Gave blood the other day, I still feel a little useless right now, but lucky. Good thread **History Monk**. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jelly\_Roll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Jelly\_Roll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jelly_Roll)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/haiti-earthquakes-how-to-help/525352/12 "2010-01-18T20:52:03Z")
These blogs are donating a certain amount for every comment left: [Saffron and Blueberry](http://saffronandblueberry.blogspot.com/2010/01/haitian-relief-effort-comment-to-raise.html) [Amy Leavitt Photography](http://amyleavittphotography.com/blog/) [Cooking Ninja](http://www.cookingninja.com/240-Haiti-Relief-Suppport-Comment-to-help-raise-funds.html) [Karen Makes Sense](http://karenmakessense.wordpress.com/) [Money Saving Mom](http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2010/01/help-for-haiti-everyone-can-do-something.html) - and this blog has links to a ton of other blogs doing the same. ---
**Author:** ![History\_Monk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/67e7ee/32.png) [@History\_Monk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/History_Monk)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/haiti-earthquakes-how-to-help/525352/13 "2010-01-21T00:03:01Z")
Thanks, y’all. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/haiti-earthquakes-how-to-help/525352/14 "2010-01-21T00:34:29Z")
The Red Cross (or other blood banks) _always_ can use blood, even when there’s not a major tragedy. For that matter, most non-profits/charities can always use donations of time or money (and sometimes material donations). If you can donate time, call local organizations - the local branch of the Red Cross would be a good starting point. Call them up and ask what volunteer opportunities they have. \Even if you can’t find a way to help an organization that’s on the ground in Haiti right now, why not seize this mood and do some local do-gooding? There’s almost certainly a soup kitchen or food pantry in your community that would be glad to have an extra pair of hands once a week. If you’re in a big city, there’s no doubt a dozen and a half non-profits around you that could use some help. Habitat for Humanity is always looking for volunteers. And having written all this, I just noticed you said you’re a student. There’s very likely some sort of community service organization on campus that at least should be able to point you in the right direction. There’s lots of good that someone without money or any technical skills can still do, as long as you’re willing.\ ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/haiti-earthquakes-how-to-help/525352/15 "2010-01-21T02:52:32Z")
There was a great post on [Metafilter](http://ask.metafilter.com/143121/Aid-agencies-sending-people-to-Hatti#2048566) the other day that’s too good not to share in this thread. From a more personal viewpoint, volunteering (with a few different organizations) is the best thing I’ve even done with my life.