Since the magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti on Jan. 12, people from all over the world have found ways to support relief efforts, mostly through monetary donations. Students and Abilenians can contribute to local and national organizations that have pledged to help the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere recover from the devastating natural disaster.
Technology has made it possible to find donation opportunities everywhere. AT&T users, for example, can text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross. Twitter users are tweeting specific Haitian areas in need of immediate assistance, and Facebook users can join awareness and pledge groups. EBay users can opt to donate 10 to 100 percent of their product’s final sale price to Giving Works to “support earthquake relief and recovery in Haiti,” according to www.donations.ebay.com. Music-lovers can purchase an “exclusive Lady Gaga Haiti relief T-shirt in the Lady Gaga Web store. 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of this shirt go directly to aid Haitian relief efforts,” according to her Facebook fan page.
For those looking to work through local or ACU-related organizations, Luke Cochran, executive treasurer and senior finance major from Round Rock, recommended Oxfam, “a confederation of 14 like-minded organizations working together and with partners and allies around the world to bring about lasting change,” according to the organization’s Web site. Cochran said he became familiar with the organization while studying abroad in Oxford with the College of Business Administration, and he is confident in its relief efforts.
“They are the No. 1 source for clean water in disaster relief situations, and the reason I chose to support them was because the Haitian general council said the most important thing they needed was clean water. That was a necessity,” Cochran said. “Having worked with Oxfam through the Study Abroad program in the summer, I know they are an organization of high integrity.”
Cochran said 90 cents of every dollar goes directly to relief. Students can learn more about the organization and how to get involved at www.oxfam.org.
Students have also taken initiative outside of formal organizations. In an Acts-Revelation class taught by Mike Cope, professor of Bible, missions and ministry, students donated more than $780 to Haitian relief. According to Cope’s blog, www.preachermike.com, “We threw up baskets at the doors, and the class dropped in $763, plus about $20 in change. Then four of them counted the money quickly and took it to ACU administrators -”
In addition, ACU alumnus and missionary to Haiti, Brad Gautney, is working with Manna Global Ministries in Port-au-Prince to provide aid, and students can donate or support their efforts at www.mannaglobalministries.org.
Cochran said the Students’ Association is trying to set up a way for students to donate on campus, but details have not been finalized. In the meantime, opportunities continue revealing themselves, and students and Abilenians do not have to search long or hard for ways to help.
