Pavia Prayers for Haiti--and Ways to Help

At Pavia we believe consciously caring for yourself is the first step to having the most to offer the world. But as we all watch the magnitude of devastation in Haiti unfold on our television and computer screens, it's easy to fall into feelings of despair and helplessness. It is important, however, not to underestimate the power of sending healing energy and prayers to everyone effected by this disaster. When you want to translate your prayer into material assistance, there are many wonderful ways to help get aid to the Haitian people. This excellent link from the Huffington Post gives a list of top charities and organizations prepared to give assistance in the form of volunteers, food, clean water, sanitation, and much-needed medical assistance. See the article on ways you can help here.

I especially love the easy and innovative option provided by Yele Haiti. Yele Haiti is a charity founded by the hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean. Their site, Yele.org describes the organizations focus: "Projects are designed to make a difference in the fields of education, health, environment and community development." You can donate five dollars to Yele Haiti for earthquake relief just by texting "Haiti" to 501501 on your cell phone. The five dolllar charge will be added to your cell phone bill. You can donate up to six times from your phone, or go to their site to give larger amounts.

An expert in emergency response, the International Rescue Committee offers the same text donation service. Simply text "Haiti" to 25383 on your phone, or donate here. Call the San Jose chapter of IRC for more information at (408) 453-3536. I love to see technology used in the service of making it so easy for people to help one another all over the world.