Help Haiti

Please Donate

I was born and raised in earthquake country. I have never lived anywhere that didn’t have an active fault line within 50 miles. I have no idea how many I’ve been through, but they never get any easier. Those mere seconds of shaking and rolling ground can be the scariest seconds of your life.  I was never too concerned about earthquakes until I brought my newborn home from the hospital. We were living on the 11th floor of a high-rise building in downtown San Francisco. Exactly one week after his birth, late in the evening, I started to hear and feel something very familiar. The distant rumbling sound tends to warn you immediately before you actually start moving. The floor began to roll beneath us and the hanging lights above started swinging rapidly. I held tightly onto my baby boy, never so scared of anything in my life.

That particular earthquake only measured 5.6 on the Richter scale from the epicenter near San Jose. Many, if not most San Franciscans, probably feared in the first few seconds that this could be The Big One.

The Big One didn’t hit San Francisco that night, but it did hit Haiti two days ago.

As many as 3 million people, or one third of the population, has been affected. There is substantial damage and loss of life. The first 48 hours of a disaster are critical and it is imperative to bring in food, water, clothing, medical supplies, blankets, and shelter for the survivors. The American Red Cross has pledged an initial $200,000 and has sent enough supplies from it’s warehouse in Panama to support 5,000 families. More needs to be done. I am urging my readers to consider a donation to the American Red Cross, no matter how big or small.  Ask your employer if they will consider matching your donation. Every dollar counts when it comes to disaster relief.

Please click below to be directed to the American Red Cross donation form:

http://www.american.redcross.org/haiti