Saturday, January 15, 2011

Natural Disasters: Compassion in Spite of the Numbers

Hurricanes, mudslides, tsunamis and extreme floods, and snowstorms are creating so much ruin in too many parts of our world. Haiti, Brazil, India, Canada and Australia, are only a few places devastated recently by the whirlwind of natural disasters that don’t seem to be letting up.

The conditions worldwide have become excessive and disastrous. The damage is phenomenal - cities have to start over and rebuild places and communities they once knew as home, not to mention the effects on people’s lives and spirits… It’s not something we can fully comprehend unless we’ve gone through it.

And our challenge seems to not become desensitized to these catastrophes. Yet, it feels like everywhere we look these days, another country is being hit.

So much effort has gone to helping places like Haiti rebuild (although sadly they are still very far from any kind of stability), that for some people the thought of helping can become overwhelming – but hopefully we can overcome this (especially in lieu of what the survivors have to cope with).

I don’t think feeling overwhelmed means we should throw our hands up and forget about it, but rather to take a moment to think, regroup, and consider where we can help.

For some of us, it’s hard to contribute large sums of money. But there are a few simple ways we can help.

First, it’s just a matter of picking an area or situation that we feel impacted by. Personally, I’m still very touched by the situation in Haiti. I recently saw a show on W5, called, “Haiti in Agony: A year later,” and was very moved by the struggles they’re still up against.

So, my way of helping is to try and maintain awareness through writing about it in this blog, or by posting logos/links of organizations here and on my website, so that people can learn more and help where they can - even if it’s to volunteer a little time.

There are also items you can buy, such as a lovely silver necklace for hope, with little trinkets on it symbolizing – love, hope and healing - in support of Haiti, available by the Give Love Foundation. It would make a pretty gift, and the money goes to a credible foundation that’s working to improve the conditions in Haiti and other countries that need it.

There are many ways we can help. The point is that in lieu of the number of catastrophes that are happening, we have to stick together as a society - to be one large community of support for each other, and help out where we can.

The following are some links to credible organizations that are helping some of the countries that have been hit by natural disasters, in hope that you may feel passionate about learning more and helping too.

Free the Children in Haiti (“Empowers children in North America to take action to improve the lives of fellow children overseas,” with projects that include education and water.)
http://www.freethechildren.com

Give Love Foundation (Helps countries in need, such as Haiti, with water systems, housing and other support where needed)
http://www.givelove.org/

Canadian Red Cross (A nonprofit humanitarian organization, providing international support in areas such as disaster relief, healthcare and violence prevention)
http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=000005&tid=003

World Health Organization (“Authority for health within the United Nations system” – research, standards and implementation of global health matters)
http://www.who.int/hac/en/index.html

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