Help for Haiti

As President Obama said yesterday morning, “The losses that have been suffered in Haiti are nothing less than devastating, and responding to a disaster of this magnitude will require every element of our national capacity -- our diplomacy and development assistance; the power of our military; and, most importantly, the compassion of our country.”  

In these critical hours, many of you may be wondering what you can do in your own neighborhood or with others in your local faith community.

The best thing to do would be to make a monetary donation to a well established national relief organization, perhaps even a trusted group associated with your religious tradition or community, that is helping address and respond to the crisis.  Monetary donations are more cost-effective than commodity contributions, and are instantly received.  Humanitarian organizations use monetary donations to procure items on a priority basis in the exact quantity and quality required.

• If you would like to immediately donate, $10 to be charged to your cell phone bill by texting "HAITI" to "90999” or you can donate online.
• Find a group accepting donations to support relief efforts in Haiti through links on the website at www.usaid.gov/helphaiti
• Encourage others to give by sharing this information with others to make sure everyone is aware of the best way to help

At this point, we are asking that people avoid donating goods or sending volunteers to Haiti, due to the logistical difficulties involved in transporting donated materials or volunteers.

For the most up to date information throughout the coming days, please monitor: http://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/HaitiEarthquake

Thank you for your compassion and support of our brothers and sisters in Haiti in this deeply trying time.

Joshua DuBois is the Director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships