Haiti: ways you can help

Hey y'all! I have been scheming on a brand-new concept for the Music Minute column. I'll be back in two weeks with an all-new format, and until then...

Unless you live under a rock, you know that on January 12, 2010, the small island nation of Haiti was hit by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake. The epicenter (or point of origination) was only 16 miles from the capital city of Port-au-Prince. And, y'all know that earthquakes are caused by the ground literally moving underneath our feet. Tremendous force and energy are involved. Everything that isn't reinforced will likely break, buckle, shatter or collapse under the strain.

This would be scary even with the strictest building codes, but y'all, I saw on the news the other night that most buildings in Haiti don't even use rebar. You know, the twisty steel reinforcing bars that you see sticking out of half-finished construction projects? Rebar fills the same role as your skeleton—it provides structure and strength. So the buildings weren't really reinforced against an earthquake in any way. Some estimates put the death toll at upwards of 200,000. Most—most—Haitians who lived in the capital city are homeless and lost everything they owned that day. And (at the risk of sounding cliché) if all they lost was their stuff, they're lucky. An unknown number of people died, are still buried in rubble waiting to be rescued, or are fighting for their lives in makeshift hospitals. Thousands of Americans visiting Haiti are doing the same.

In other words, nothing most of us have ever seen even comes close to what they're living with on a daily basis. We watch footage on TV, but we sleep safely in our beds at night. Two weeks ago, Haiti was the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Today, they're still the poorest, but they've been living with unimaginable destruction, fear, danger, and stress for the last 8 days.

I have personally been moved by the huge outpouring of financial support I've seen over the last 8 days. I am proud of our government for sending aircraft carriers and floating hospitals to help out, of the soldiers and relief workers dropping in meals and digging people out of the piles of concrete and wood that Port-au-Prince has become. Of neurosurgeons who dropped everything to perform brain surgery in a tent. But I sort of feel the same way I felt after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina—that this disaster is too big for me to help with, or that my efforts can't make much difference. As much as I have to give, I feel like it's not much compared to the millions needed to get things right again.

But y'all, millions are made up of dollars, right?

So this morning, I signed on to Twitter and saw a post from an organization that is collecting old clothing and shoes for Haiti. A newly-formed Nashville charity called Soles4Souls is collecting shoes and clothing and sending it off to people who literally have nothing but the clothes on their backs—and what other people give them. Hey, I can help with that. So I'm going to go home and dig around in my closet for some stuff that's still nice and can go on to another home.

And y'all, I am absolutely convinced that just because you are young does not mean you can't make a difference. Wait...let me try that again. Being a teenager doesn't prevent you from doing good. There is so much good you can do! So how can you help out if you want to? I've listed some ways below.

Be sure to talk over any financial giving with your parents, and be sure to give only through reputable agencies. If you can't give financially, that's okay. But if you've been moved to share some of what you have, here are a few ways you can go about it.

You can pray. Quake victims and their families plus missionaries and disaster relief teams serving in Haiti need your prayers.
• Check out CompassionNet for daily prayer updates.
• Follow @IMBconnecting on Twitter to receive prayer updates from the International Mission Board.
• Find earthquake-related prayer requests and add some to your prayer list at this blog.

You can give money.
• The American Red Cross is in the business of traveling to other countries and helping them in times of trouble. You can use the iTunes store to make a one-time donation. Six different donation amounts are available, including a $5 donation.
• Or, you can donate to the American Red Cross via text message. Just text "Haiti" to 90999 to make a one-time, $10 donation. (Again, talk to your parents and don't give them any surprises on your mobile phone bill.)
• World Vision is an organization dedicated to educating and helping children in underprivileged countries. You can make an online donation by clicking here.
• Compassion International is a child sponsorship organization, and there were a lot of Compassion kids who were affected by the earthquake. You can give any amount you want at the Compassion International web site.
• You can give to the International Mission Board's Haiti Response Fund. 100% of donations are used for meeting the needs of earthquake victims.

You can give "stuff." Try to give useful items that are clean, in good condition, and appropriate for a tropical climate.
• Check with your church to see if they are aware of any clothing drives or other relief efforts you can help with.
• Or read your local newspaper to find out about charity drives. (Again, be sure to do a little homework about the organization if you aren't familiar with them.)

One last thing. Listen for and look for stories from Haiti of God's faithfulness. No matter what things look like, God is still there, and He is still faithful. He still cares, loves His people, and takes care of His own. When you hear those stories of God's goodness and faithfulness, praise Him. Give thanks that He is always working, and that He loves us with an everlasting love. Be thankful for your warm bed, your full tummy, and the love of your family and friends. Do what you can for Haiti, in prayer, thought, or deed. It will make a difference—in Haiti, and in your own life.