Helping the Victims in Haiti

With all the concerns in recent months about where the Catholic Campaign for Human Development funds in the USA goes as well as the Development & Peace funds in Canada there may be concern about where to donate to help the victims while still being sure that it will not direcetly or indirectly help pro-abortion groups & other groups that undermine Catholic teaching.

I would like to suggest 2 orginizations that have set up emergancy funds for relief & I am familiar with. In fact I regular give to both of them. & bothe are careful about who they work with to ensure that those groups uphold Catholic teaching on the life issues.

The 1st group is Cross International Catholic Outreach. They have been working in Haiti for a long time now & already have staff are in the area that are prepared to work through ministries on the ground to provide emergency relief to families in need. Projects Officer Mike Henry was in Port-au-Prince, Haiti at the time the quake hit & is helping to coodinate Cross International's efforts. They have already begun to distribute millions of meals from 10 trailers in Haiti. The trailers contain Vitafood, protein drinks, nutritional food packets, canned food and also shoes. They have secured two containers of medical supplies to be flown into Port-au-Prince as soon as possible. The containers have arrived in Miami and will be transported in private planes to Haiti. Also they have successfully coordinated the transport of a medical team from the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince. They will work with local partners to set up a triage center to provide care for earthquake victims.

Please go here to donate & get the latest updates.

The 2nd group is Aid to the Church in Need. This charity works under the guidance of the Holy Father. They are is in contact with the Papal Nuncio in Haiti & have already wired emergency funds to address the most urgent of needs. If you live in the USA you can go here to donate. Outside the USA you can go to their international site. There you will find a page with links to their 17 National offices.

(Note: Both of these orginizations have also been given the green light by Reform CCHD.)

An article from LifeSteNews (Pro-Life Organizations to Donate to for Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts) also lists 2 other groups that I am not familiar with. But since I trust the source, I will list them as well. They are Haiti Mission & Chalice (a Canadian group). According to the article thy are also fully committed to the right to life in undertaking their charitable work in the now-devastated nation.

The news has been carrying stories of how many celebreties are organizing fundraisers or giving huge amongs. Not to downplay what good some of that money will do, but often it will go to groups that promote abortion, sterilization & birth control. A prime example of what I am saying is the donation by Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie by their foundation of $1 million. Sounds good, until you realize it is going to Doctors Without Borders. Their own website admits that they work to circumvent local laws preventing abortions in order to provide them. These groups may use the donations specificly for relief, but then will use the opportunity to get a toehold to promote their anti-life agenda.

It is important that those of us who can help out the victims in Haiti. But we must be sure the money will be used by groups that won't promote anything that goes against our pro-life beliefs. So, if you can give even a few dollars please give to 1 of the groups that I recommend. It will help the victims as well as help spread the Kingdom of God & "culture of life".