We should give as we would receive: cheerfully, quickly, and without hesitation; for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers.
~ Seneca
We’ve all been jarred by the devastation in Haiti this past week. People are coming together from all over the world to help. It’s gratifying to see folks digging deep to give at a time when financial difficulty is common. The absolute horror of what’s going on in Haiti puts a lot of that in perspective. I’ve recently written about the changes in our own financial life, but I know there are millions of people who would dearly love to trade places with us. And as tough as things are for those people, I know that the people of Haiti would probably gladly trade places with them.
Yesterday, I was touched by a blog posting by Frugal Trader and Kathryn over at Million Dollar Journey. They offered to match reader donations to a maximum of $500. Their goal was met very shortly. I noticed that lots of other bloggers were eliciting aid as well. I thought I would highlight some of them here in hopes up stirring up a few more donations:
This is just a small slice of the bloggers I noticed as of Friday afternoon. There are hundreds more, and I’m sure many more will chime in during the days ahead. At about 6 weeks old, my blog doesn’t come close to the reach these folks have, but I thought I would do my little bit and encourage you to donate now if you haven’t already.
The Canadian Government is matching contributions made to eligible Canadian charities, so your loonies will go a long way. I’ve boiled down the long list of eligible organizations to 3 of the largest and most reputable ones so that you don’t need to waste any time worrying about where to put your money. The need is urgent.
- The Canadian Red Cross
- Unicef Canada
- Doctors Without Borders Canada (MSF -Medecins Sans Frontieres)
I’ve noticed that some of these sites have become bogged down, presumably because so many people are trying to donate. Please keep trying if you’re not successful at first, and thanks for your help.
