Submitted by jsteers on Wed, 01/13/2010 - 11:31.
A 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti just before 5 p.m. yesterday and has destroyed most of the capital city, Port-au-Prince. The destruction and loss of life is being called a “major catastrophe” by a top envoy to the country.
The earthquake destroyed buildings throughout the nation, including the U.N. peacekeeper compound and parts of the royal palace.
The U.S. State Department is reportedly expecting “serious loss of life,” especially as the dust settles on the massive amount of rubble.
The Red Cross estimates that over one-third of the country’s population has been affected by the quake.
This morning rescue crews are scrambling to assess the damage, as first responders and new hands try to dig people out of the rubble.
You can get involved now too:
If you have a great idea for a project in Haiti, apply for a grant and DoSomething.org might fund your project
Help DoSomething.org and Aéropostale team up to send jeans to Haiti as part of the Teens for Jeans campaign. Haitians who collect the jeans will also have access to YMCA Haiti's emergency relief resources
To check on loved ones in Haiti, call U.S. State Department Operations Center at 1-888-407-4747
To donate $10 to the Red Cross for their relief efforts, text HAITI to 90999. The donation will be charged to your phone bill
Check out organizations like Wyclef Jean’s Yele Haiti, the Red Cross, and Mercy Corps, Habitat for Humanity and Partners in Health today and in the coming weeks for more ways to help
Learn more about what you can do to prepare for disaster and help disaster victims and find out what you need to know before you start helping Haiti
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They are in my thoughts and prayers. Please help anyway you can!
i'm trying to help also, please help me with my project here also! http://www.dosomething.org/project/rally-relief that's the link, thanks!
A Facebook group has been established for all students who wish to help the situation in Haiti. http://bit.ly/8kogVM
Please join to stay updated on the unfolding events and to share ideas on how we all can help.
I have a classmate that has family in Haiti, and he is very worried about his family is there. Tomorrow Im going to give him the number so he and his family can check on their loved ones in Haiti!
It's inspiring, motivating, and validating to see these public figures giving of themselves...but are they truly giving?? Just ten percent of Bono's, Madge's, O's (any of these incredibly wealthy) "take-home" pay would really make a dent: over $100 million.
Why not make it public? Put the proverbial money- where-their-mouth is. That way we can really see if they are genuinely helping....