Helping

The devastation in Haiti has been ever present on my mind. Maybe it's the images on television, maybe it's because it's in the West Indies and it's so close to home, maybe it's because I feel like I see my people in those images, or maybe it's because I have friends that have been directly affected - I'm not quite sure which it is, but I find my heart overfilled with so much sorrow.

I hope that there are many other people out there that feel the same way and do something about it. My deepest hope is that this devastation brings help to equalize the inequities that have persisted in that country for so long despite great growth around it.

That said, I gave blood yesterday. I have only given blood once in my life and yesterday I bravely faced my fear and gave a pint to the American Red Cross. I was told that I saved three lives with my pint.

Also, this week the Mamalaw ladies made a contribution of $0.25 for every Twitter follower we had. We made our contribution to Project Medishare, a group that has been present in Haiti for years and one that J. Fergie's mom has been volunteering with for quite some time. We set up a fundraising page with a goal of $1000, so pop on over and give what you can. Everything helps!

There is so much more that can be done. So please check out your options and do what you can.

'A Disaster of Epic Proportions"

The little island of Haiti is near and dear to my heart. My father was born and raised in Haiti and most of my family still lives there or owns homes and businesses there.

Located only 600 miles from Florida, Haiti recently experienced a disaster of epic proportions. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. More than 60% of Haitians do not have access to clean water. Many children have died due to disease or infection as a result of dirty water. Many children also die from malnutrition because many people can't afford food.

Recently, four hurricanes swept over this little island and flooded many of the roads in the villages and towns. More than 8 bridges that connect towns to villages (and food to the people that live in these villages), were wiped out by the flooding. After the last storm, many Haitians were stranded on the roofs of their homes for almost a week -- without access to food or water. Wyclef Jean and Matt Damon recently visited Haiti in an attempt to provide relief, help Haitians, and bring awareness to the dire situation. Matt (can I call him Matt?) said that there were no words to describe the devastation.

The United Nations sought $108 million of aid to help Haiti. But so far, only 2% of that money has been collected. The first storm hit in August and since then, the people have been suffering even more than they had before the storms.

When considering which organizations you would like to contribute your charitable dollars to, please consider donating to charities that help Haiti. If I may, I would like to recommend The Lambi Fund and Yele.org. Both of these organizations provide direct relief to Haiti and have a standing record of making a difference.