As you already know, a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck near Port au-Prince, Haiti on Tuesday affecting the nine million people who live in that country. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the population living under the poverty line and 54% living on less than $1 a day.
You have likely been inundated with lots of information about how you can help, but I thought I would provide some additional information on two Christian organizations that I have had personal contact with and trust.
Covenant World Relief
http://www.covchurch.org/cwr
Covenant World Relief (CWR) is an effective and efficient humanitarian aid ministry with a sixty-year history. CWR is a ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church (Riverside’s network of churches) and collaborates with partners around the world to provide relief, rehabilitation, and transformational development. These partnerships empower local ministries, increase local involvement, reduce overhead and facilitate immediate response to disaster and human suffering. Our charge is to love, serve and work together with the poor, the powerless, and the marginalized.
In Haiti, CWR is partnering with World Relief International, which is already on the ground in Haiti’s devastated capital, Port-au-Prince.
World Vision
http://www.worldvision.org/
World Vision sponsorship provides a child and community with basic essentials like food, clean water, healthcare, and education – elements of stability for the present and hope for the future.
When disaster strikes, like the recent earthquake in Haiti, World Vision sponsorship provides children and communities with the resources they need to survive – and be better prepared to cope with similar emergencies in the future.
On Thursday, World Vision will rush 18 metric tons of lifesaving supplies from its warehouse in Denver to Haiti. These supplies and others already pre-positioned will help meet the immediate survival needs of those affected by the quake until rebuilding efforts can begin.
Please pray for the people of Haiti and if God has blessed you with the resources to provide for their physical needs, please donate to Covenant World Relief, World Vision, or another organization providing direct aid in an effective and efficient manner.