Haiti: Speedy Text Message Relief

More that $25 million dollars has been donated to the Red Cross by Canadians since Haiti was hit by an earthquake last week, said a Red Cross spokesperson Tanya Elliott on Monday.

Such speedy fund-raising was made possible by today's technology. Phone companies have made it possible to send a text and instantly donate five dollars. Or, people can donate any amount of money online.

Last week, the government told Canadians they would match donations up to $50 million dollars.
On Tuesday, the International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda, announced that the government is contributing $80 million dollars to relief efforts in Haiti.
It seems the government has finally kept a promise.

The CBC has made a web page about Haiti Relief information. It includes a list of all registered charities and a list of numbers to text to instantly donate money to a charity.

Text message donating is a good idea. It has probably gotten a lot of younger people involved. It’s easy and hassle free. People are more likely to punch in a number, a few letters and press send.

According to the Canadian government, 665 Canadians are still unaccounted for, 13 have been killed and 1,206 have been evacuated back to Canada.