Disaster Relief Tips

High-Energy Biscuits:

When a disaster similar to the earthquake in Haiti strikes, high energy biscuits are the food staple that U.N. World Food Programme likes to distribute. The biscuits are highly favored because of they are light-weight and are packed with nutrition, making them easy to distribute and stabilize initial hunger. The food bars give victims energy and have plenty of vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients.

Hunger in Haiti: U.N. World Food Programme

Statistics show the harsh reality of the hunger issues that Haiti is facing and how it was not much better even before the earthquake. The U.N. World Food Programme has gathered those statistics on the hunger that Haiti struggles with daily. Within 24 hours of the earthquake hit, the WFP had begun to distribute food and are attempting to construct food kitchens. If you would like to make a donation through the WFP or spread the word, visit here.

Facebook: Hope for Finding Friends and Family

The first things hundreds of people did after the earthquake hit Haiti was to log onto Facebook. People looking to get any information they can are using Facebook to post pictures and descriptions of friends and family that are now missing. One Facebook group, Earthquake Haiti, has 12,000 members and counting, as the need for people's whereabouts grows. Other search engines created for the purpose of re-connecting friends and families are CNN and the New York Times. The U.S. Department of State website lists numbers and an email contact for U.S. for those requesting assistance or to report missing individuals.

Avoid Getting Scammed Out of Helping

When a disaster hits, everyone wants to do their part in helping out. Unfortunately, this is also the perfect time for scammers to target do-gooders. If you want to make a donation, but are not sure where to start, Charity Navigator is a website that ranks charities from A-Z so you know a little more about who you are donating to. The Daily Beast and MSN have also provided a list of trustworthy charitable organizations. Remember to look for signs that show a website may be a scam.

1. Check to make sure the URL ends in .org and not .com.
2. Go to websites of organizations that you are familiar with.
3. Be wary of unsolicited e-mails. E-mails that include links to organizations or pictures of a disaster may be fake or carry viruses.
4. Never give out social security or personal bank information.
5. If you have any suspicion that the website you have visited may be a scam, report it here.

American Airlines: Flying Free Aid

While airlines have suspended all commercial flights to Haiti in light of the recent earthquake, AMR Corp., the parent company of American Airlines and American Eagle, has flown in 30,000 pounds of supplies in relief aid with more flights to follow today and tomorrow. For frequent-flier members who make donations to the Red Cross, AMR Corp. is offering AAdvantage bonus miles through February 28^th to its members based on the donation amount. To donate, visit http://bit.ly/4V9OzO.