Raising money for Haiti

[myr seashell]

Can anyone tell me if they have noticed any kind of organized presence in the Caribbean to raise funds for the Haiti disaster ? As our Caribbean cruise gets closer, it seems to me that the immediacy of the matter will only increase, as we cruise the waters, without a care in the world. Giving from home has been important, though one can't help but feel somewhat removed.

[pspercy]

I'd give to international agencies - with caution.

How about MSF/Docs without Borders ? http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

 

Current story about cruisers and Haiti:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7009611.ece

 

Bears out the corruption there, so don't give directly, likely the people who need it most won't see it.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

We were on the first Celebrity stop in Labadee, Haiti since the quake (though there had been three RCCL ships in before us). They included a separate letter along with the daily newsletter, explaining that stopping aids the Haitian economy, we were bringing in pallets of food, medicine, water and clothing (never thought I'd see one of those white UN trucks in person), proceeds from shore excursions were being donated to Haitian relief efforts, and told how you could make your own donation, charged conveniently to your Seapass card!

 

Check X's website for their message on relief efforts mention the groups "Food For The Poor, the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) and our own Solano Foundation". I checked up on Food for the Poor, and according to charitynavigator.org, they are a four-star rated charity that gets 97% of its donations to the people for whom they're intended. The American Red Cross, in comparison, is rated three stars and has a 90% program expense rate.

 

Not that I'm knocking the Red Cross. When I called Celebrity the morning after the quake, I was initially told the Labadee stop was off, so DW and I took what we were going to have spent on our shore excursion and donated it to the Red Cross. I figured it was money we planned on not having, anyway, so it may as well go somewhere it was needed. Then, when the stop was announced as still on, we were "on the hook" for that amount again. We could have cancelled it, but decided to keep it for the reasons mentioned above. We also felt better about enjoying ourselves in the Haitian sunshine with so much suffering (that we could not do anything about directly) going on just a relatively short ways away, knowing that we had made a "matching funds" donation.

 

I would challenge anyone stopping at Labadee (or anywhere in the Caribbean, for that matter) to do the same-- whatever you're spending on a shore excursion, donate the same amount to Haitian relief efforts, whether it be through the cruise line, Red Cross, or other reputable charity. "But I can barely afford this cruise as it is! I can't afford to be giving to charity, even if it's for such a good cause." Poppycock. Anyone, regardless of personal income, who is able to afford a cruise is in a much better position than many unfortunate Haitians. Order a few less drinks, forego that massage, or stay out of the casino one night (sorry, Celebrity).