Catholic Exchange

Appeal to Generosity

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Catholic Exchange

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I appeal to the generosity of all to ensure our concrete solidarity and the effective support of the international community for these brothers and sisters who are living a time of need and suffering.

I invite everyone to join in my prayer to the Lord for the victims of this catastrophe and for those who are mourning their loss. I assure my spiritual closeness to people who have lost their homes and to all those affected in various ways by this calamity, imploring from God consolation and relief of their suffering — Pope Benedict XVI commenting on the Haitian earthquake during his Wednesday audience.

We are recommending donations to these three relief organizations due to their record of working in the area and their fiscal responsibility.

Food For the Poor has been active in Haiti for many years. They have won many awards and high rankings for being an efficiently run charity. You can find a dedicated space on their site for giving donations to Haiti relief.

Catholic Relief Services already had 300 personnel on the ground in Haiti and as they are accounted for and able to get to work, they are transporting food relief from neighboring Dominican Republic. The CRS blog will have constant updates on the relief efforts. Click here for: The Haiti emergency page.

Cross International Catholic Outreach works on many projects in Haiti, including orphanages, health clinics, agriculture, and housing. Their donation system permits you to target your gift to a specific project if you so desire. Click here to donate.

All aid agencies are letting it be known that cash donations are preferred at this stage of the effort over donations of goods.

Comments

5 responses to “Appeal to Generosity”

  1. LarryW2LJ Avatar
    LarryW2LJ

    Cross International Catholic Outreach comes and talks at our Church every year. Our family donated last night through their Website – it’s so easy that it was a breeze even for this computer illiterate!

  2. noelfitz Avatar
    noelfitz

    This unsigned article is hugely encouraging. Requesting support for a non-denominational charity devoted to giving food to the poor is truly pro-life. This unsigned article shows what Catholicism is really about, love of God and neighbor. I hope the response will be excellent.

    As soon as the world heard about the tragedy in Haiti American relief flooded in.

    Often it seems to me that the Catholic Church in America sees itself as not much more that an anti-abortion lobby group.

    Here we see that being pro-life is being more than anti-abortion.

  3. goral Avatar
    goral

    “All aid agencies are letting it be known that cash donations are preferred at this stage of the effort over donations of goods.”

    Understandable that cash would be preferred as it could be directed into areas of most need very quickly. The corrupt predators who have been praying on the poor population there are also ready to grab a hefty chunk of the money that will be pouring into the relief effort. We have to be extremely discriminating who gets our money.

    My own strategy is to wait a few weeks so that the chaos and the initial panic subside. The need at that time will be just as pressing but without the hype the donations will have dried up and the opportunists will have to deal with a better controlled and better organized effort.

  4. consecrata Avatar
    consecrata

    Unfortunately, in any situation where huge sums of money are being trucked in, corruption takes place. It happened with the Katrina fund, with the Twin Tower fund, it happened in the south of Italy when Potenza had a major earthquake so, in this sense, Haiti is no different. However, I get a bit apprehensive that some radio/tv commentators seem to urge people to keep the money here in the States. What they don’t realize is that here in the States, help is always available, and no one should ever starve. In Haiti, it’s different. The average Haitian makes about one dollar a day no matter how hard or how long they work. I worked in Haiti as a Catholic lay missionary for many years and the Haitian people are among the kindest and MOST GENEROUS I have ever known. They would give you their last piece of bread if you were in need. When I was dying of malaria and pneumonia, they took care of me and kept me alive. It is not their fault that they are poor. The current President of Haiti has been doing a fairly good job but previous Presidents were very corrupt, especially the Duvaliers…and would not allow the people to be educated for fear that they might seek a better life. Despite the horror of this catastrophe, I believe, I hope, that this will be a new beginning for the wonderful people of Haiti as infrastructures are strengthened or built anew, and hopefully schools and hospitals will be built, jobs created, education offered. These people deserve a chance and I hope and pray we will continue to give that to them. I myself work with the “Haitian Health Foundation” because they have been there for over 25 years and have been engaged in helping the Haitians to help themselves and each other. Dr. Lowney went there at the request of Mother Teresa of Calcutta many years ago when he himself was declared to be dying of cancer and he has done tremendous work…and he is based out of Norwich, Connecticut. I pray that the world won’t lose interest once the immediate images have faded away…it is so true that whatever we do for the least of His people, we do for Him…the Lord.

  5. noelfitz Avatar
    noelfitz

    Consecrata,

    You are a real Christian/Catholic.

    Many thanks.

    Noelfitz

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