The-F-Word.org

The images and reports coming in from Haiti are absolutely harrowing.  The earthquake, which left the capital city of Port-au-Prince in ruins, is catastrophic; more than two million people have been affected, tens of thousands have died, and uncountable people injured.  Times are tough for a lot of folks right now, but if you can help, it seems that financial donations are the best and preferred avenue to take.  Here’s a few groups with strong track records collecting donations:

CARE: CARE has already deployed emergency team members to Port-au-Prince to assist in recovery efforts. They’re focusing their efforts on rescuing children who may still be trapped in schools that collapsed.

• Matthew 25 Ministries: This is a Cincinnati-based organization that works internationally to help people in need and in times of disaster.  To give you an example of the enormity of their assistance, they use the U.S. Air Force to transport some of their materials and say they’ve now outgrown the Air Force.

• AmeriCares: The organization has already committed $5 million in medical and humanitarian aid, is sending emergency response experts to Haiti, and is currently preparing an emergency airlift to their partners in Haiti.

• Doctors Without Borders: Operates one of the only free trauma centers in Port-au-Prince as well as an emergency hospital in the capital for pregnant women, new mothers, and newborn children. All three of its primary medical centers have collapsed, but DWB has already set up temporary shelters and is offering emergency care on the ground.

• American Red Cross: The organization has already pledged an initial $1 million in relief to Haiti, has opened its Panama warehouse to provide tarps, mosquito nets and cooking sets for about 5,000 families and deployed six disaster management specialists to coordinate relief efforts.

You can also sign the petition to grant temporary protected status to undocumented Haitians living in the U.S. President Obama has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to halt all forcible deportations to the disaster zone, but human rights groups are asking him to go one step further and grant them temporary protected status.  Refugees from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Somalia and Sudan are afforded this status.  “This will give [undocumented Haitians] protection from forcible deportation to Haiti, allow them to work legally, and start the long and difficult process of healing their families and communities. To refuse to do so would be irresponsible and immoral,” according to Credo Action.  Click here to take action.