Help the people of Haiti
The situation in Haiti has moved from rescue to recovery, and the need for assistance is even greater. As volunteers/workers continue to pick through the rubble from the earthquake that leveled large portions of the tiny country of Haiti, killing perhaps 200,000 people, injuring many more and orphaning tens of thousands of children, many of us in San Diego County were complaining about too much rain falling too quickly last week. In Haiti, water is the most precious commodity available right now.
We complain about the high unemployment rate in San Diego County. In Haiti, there are very few offices and factories standing.
We worry about coming down with the H1N1 flu bug. In Haiti, death has become so prevalent that survivors rub toothpaste under their noses to block out the smell.
We complain about what to do about our homeless population. In Haiti, just about everyone is homeless.
The video images coming 24/7 out of Haiti are overwhelming. The country, poor and underdeveloped long before this latest disaster, has been devastated. The road to recovery will be a long, hard one.
In San Diego County, we have a choice about what to do. We can turn off the televisions and go back to our problems, or we can join a worldwide effort to lay the bricks necessary to build that recovery road.
Local church groups and relief agencies have already sprung into action. So much is needed in Haiti, and with each passing day, the challenges seem to grow.
If you want to help, take time to do a little research because there are many options. Organizations such as the Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, UNICEF and World Vision make donating cash as simple as clicking onto a Web site. The easiest way to give? Pull out your cell phone and text “Haiti” to 90999. Your $10 donation to the American Red Cross will be charged to your phone bill. But beware of scams, do not respond to any solicitations without completely checking them out first.
We all live in San Diego County. We also live in this world.
Jeff Mitchell
Steve Dryer