We Hope...

We have been almost obsessed with the tragedies that began on January 12, 2010, a very special day for our family: Maria's birthday, but a very devastating day for those in Haiti and around the world. We have been researching different organizations and groups to look for ways to help and make some small difference for someone in Haiti. We have felt so blessed to have so much, but feel that where much is given much is expected. Here are some ways to help...organizations that give 100%/close to (no big overhead), or even small, yet meaningful ways to contribute.

-- Nancy, Megan's Mom, has been helping with a group called Haitian Roots. Donations would help the children, families and orphans that they serve, help to educate, and assist with adoptions.

-- Megan has been following a blog by Dr. Jeff Randle, founder of Healing Hands for Haiti, a clinic in Haiti set up to help provide rehabilitation services to the Haitian people. Dr. Randle is also working with a doctor/friend of our's from Corvallis (Dr. Mark Rampton), which has made an impression on us. He started the HHH clinic on a shoestring budget 12 years ago and by 2005, they were seeing nearly 5000 patients. Although the HHH clinic was greatly damaged and some employees died, teams of doctors and construction workers are heading over to help with the repair. This is important because, besides offering rehab therapy, a shop had been built where Haitians were trained to make prosthetic limbs. This will be a great need in this country where so many have had an amputation in the last 10 days. Here's a recent article. http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14233900

--LDS Humanitarian Services (team Dr. Mark Rampton is with)

--Partners in Health

--Doctors Without Borders

--I am sure many of you watched the Hope for Haiti Telethon this past weekend and listened to the great music from the variety of artist. The music is now available for purchase on iTunes for $7.99... Yes, it is a small amount but a lot of a little makes a lot. (Or donate to the fund it contributes to: Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, but I don't know what their overhead is.)

In Dr. Randle's blog (address listed above) he has offerred some pretty moving experiences for his readers. At the end of one of the posts he wrote (speaking of why he went to Haiti), "I also came because if I could, I wanted to get a starfish back to the water."

We all have an important part to play and each of us must do our part to make a difference...