Haiti Still Needs Help

How Your Family Can Make a Difference

The earthquake that killed tens of thousands of people on the small, impoverished island of Haiti, and left 1.2 million people displaced or homeless, spurred a dramatic amount of goodwill nationwide. Many people dipped into their wallets for individual donations, and many groups picked up the cause to raise larger amounts of money in innovative ways.

Now, just over a month after the Jan. 12, 2010, tragedy, media reports indicate that donations are slowing, and Haiti continues to desperately need help. There are still plenty of ways that your family can make a difference to the people of Haiti. Consider these continuing fundraising campaigns:

The American Red Cross

The American Red Cross continues to accept donations for Haitian relief. If you want to raise a substantial donation for this relief organization, consider a local benefit concert featuring talented musicians from your community; or work with local businesses to exchange services (such as haircuts or sales of pizza) for donations. One New York school raised nearly $2,000 to donate to Haiti by having children place their extra change in a bucket after going through the cafeteria lunch line.

The Red Cross is also still accepting individual donations through a special cell phone texting service. Text “HAITI” to “90999″ and a $10 donation will be charged to your phone bill.

Art Hearts

Art Hearts is a project offering children a concrete way to do something for the people of Haiti, by sending messages of love and support.

It’s the brainchild of Kate and Emma, the 7-year-old twins of Lynn Toomey, founder of the Lunenburg, Massachusetts-based mobile art education and entertainment business Let’s Gogh Art. After watching news reports of the earthquake, the girls devised a way to use art to help people who’ve experienced severe misfortune feel “a little less alone, a little more hope, and a lot more loved.”