Haiti from Goldi Gold

fem-fATL would like to give our best wishes to all of those affected by the hurricane in Haiti.  It is always a devastating situation when places are affected by natural disasters, meaning the people who live there and their families who live far away, some in Atlanta, are affected equally.  We are all struggling in our own individual lives, however it is apparent that these families are in a much worse situation.  This is your chance to give a helping hand where many are needed.  Clean out your closets with us for old clothes and shoes, find a couple of canned goods, or maybe $5 that you were going to by a happy meal with… and donate!  If you have items but don’t have time to find the following locations, email one of the fem-fATL members and we will gladly transport items for you.  Check out the locations provided by 11alive news where you can help support the vicitims of the hurricane.

Below is a list of some of the disaster relief and non-governmental organizations.  Always do your own checking before donating to any organization. 

One way of checking is to see what the Better Business Bureau has found out about it.  Go to www.bbb.org/charity, and type in the name of the charity to see if the BBB has a report on it.  If the BBB does not have a report on it, or if the BBB recommends against donating to a particular charity, you might want to do further checking before giving your money.  You may have your own good report about a charity that the BBB rejects.  For example, the BBB likes some of the charities listed below and does not like some of them:

• You can make a donation through the American Red Cross’ International Response Fund, and it will be allocated specifically for Haiti relief efforts;
• Action Against Hunger has mobilized an emergency response and has teams already on the ground, assessing and responding to needs;
• Mercy Corps has a way for you to donate your money straight to their efforts in Haiti, and Unicef also has a donation site set up;
• The United Nations World Food Program has teams “already on the scene, mobilizing emergency food assistance to families.” To support these efforts, you can make an emergency donation here;
• Operation Blessing International also has disaster relief teams on the way. A donation of $50 or more will bring emergency food, water, medicine and more to the quake victims;
• Project HOPE, which provide medical supplies and health care services to those in need, is seeking donations for their aid efforts in Haiti;
• The Salvation Army is also sending personnel and supplies to assist in the relief effort, and is in need of donations;
• Yele, an organization set up by musician Wyclef Jean, a native Haitian, is an additional option.