Haiti Helping

The Typhoon did something telling yesterday. They cleaned out the closets to help the displaced in Haiti.

I know, that probably sounds simplistic. But here’s the deal – C and the kids wanted to do something to help. So they put together a plan to send usable clothing and a dozen or so personal effects kits (toothpaste, toothbrush, feminine products, etc.) They also ransacked their closets for a selection of very usable kids’ clothing that they could sent to Haiti.  The kids who survived probably lost everything in the quake, is their reasoning, they’ll need new clothes. If the stores fell down, where will they buy what they need?

Today, they’ve learned that 1) none of the local aid organizations will accept the donation of  goods at this time, because they don’t have a finalized supply flight schedule, 2) they’ll take our donation of goods as soon as they can be assured of putting it on a flight.

There are three ways to help in a disaster:

1. Money – given to an aid organization, this can help in a NUMBER of ways. Infrastructure repairs, supplies, medical support, etc. Money can also be transferred quickly, globally, as needed. Certainly an effective mechanism, but hard for children to wrap their heads around.

2. Goods – still money, but you have control over what the money is spent on. Good, in the sense that we can get our children kinesthetically involved in preparing kits of supplies; they can easily imagine a disaster victim getting the package and how they’d put the items to use. M was particularly good at this. Listening to the radio reports and talking about what we could do to help, M said, “the buildings aren’t safe; they’re sleeping outside under tarps. What they need is TENTS!” So, while the kids are thinking like this, sending goods makes it real for them.
The trouble, of course, is that we have to wait for a plane of supplies that agrees to take our stuff. Our help won’t be on the first wave. But the need in Haiti will be for some time; we’ll help. Regardless of exactly when.

3. Labor – either assisting in the efforts of an aid organization at a distance, or going to the site and helping, whether it’s looking for survivors in Haiti or continuing New Orleans to recover and rebuild from Katrina.  In a sense, the family project to build up personal care packages qualifies as labor (on a very small scale).

My family – my kids especially – good and labor are making the effort to help concrete and real. I think this is good. The cash from others will create the immediate response; we’ll be back a bit from the initial onslaught, but we’ll be able to send more durable items to help with recovery.

I commend my family for being so big-hearted and kind toward others. I’m proud of you all.