Upsides to the Down Economy/ Haiti Donations

I have been inundated, as I'm sure everyone has, with e-mails and other pleas to donate money to Haiti for earthquake relief. There was even an option to give at my grocery store. In addition, there are all kinds of events taking place in the South Florida community to raise money for Haiti. While we want to give, and money seems the most helpful donation at this point, which organization to give to is confusing. One of the first e-mails I received was asking to donate to Partners in Health, (www.pih.org) the same organization Meryl Streep spoke about at her acceptance speech for the Golden Globes. This organization has been a presence in Haiti for 25 years. Even established organizations have come under fire for not using donations in an appropriate way. The Red Cross was criticized by a reader in The Miami Herald recently. They noted you need to write "Haitian Relief Fund" on your donation to make sure your money is spent in Haiti and not elsewhere. Other donation possibilities are Doctors Without Borders, Operation Helping Hands and the Salvation Army. Now that little hope for finding anyone alive is possible, it is time for recovery. Let us not forget the people of Haiti at this most crucial time.