Cutline Speaks

Bring relief to Haiti with a simple text

posted by LizM on January 22, 2010

The earthquake that hit Haiti left an estimated 200,000 people dead and at least 2 million homeless, and the numbers continue to rise as things like fresh water and medical help continue to be unavailable to the remaining survivors. The damage and devastation is overwhelming and difficult to comprehend, and left me wondering what actions I can take to help out that will not only be effective, but simple and fast.

Thus far the U.S. managed to raise around 275 million dollars in donations, and out of that, 21 million dollars were raised via text messages. By simply sending a one-word text, you can make a donation that goes directly to the cause. Organizations like the American Red Cross collect money via text that directly appears on your monthly phone bill. The money is in turn used for things like shelter, food, and beds for those in need.

In the age of cell phones, sending a simple text to a 5 digit number is probably the easiest, fastest, and most convenient way to make a difference, especially when you probably spend a significant amount of time on a daily basis just scrolling through your messages/playing games/pretending to be on the phone/etc. It literally took 30 seconds out of my day to plug some numbers into a device that I would most likely be on anyways to make a difference and feel good. I was skeptical at first about texting permission to a random number to take my money; I wanted to know exactly where my money was going to go and how much of it was actually going to the cause. I took to some reliable news sources and the American Red Cross' site to clarify all of my questions and realized it was a great way to help out.

The use of cell phones over the years have progressed from a convenient way to keep in touch with people, to a device that advances communication during emergencies thus creating safer environments, to creating accessible and effective ways for people to donate money to countries thousands of miles away in times of need. The amount of donations flowing in via texts will hopefully continue to climb, and I encourage all to take 30 seconds out of your day to send the text and make a contribution.  

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