The BenHeck Haiti Relief Effort!

[khaag]

Hey team, as I'm sure everyone is aware, Haiti was struck by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in recent weeks. The devastation in the country is phenomenal, and I figured this might be a good chance for all of us to come together as a community and donate to a very worthy cause. I know money is always a bummer with us portabalizers, but even if we can donate just a few dollars, it's gonna go to help someone in need. Skip that frappacino you're gonna have tomorrow morning, and help someone who is in need.

I figure if we set a goal say, 2 weeks from now, and just try to get the word out there as much as we can, we could actually come up with a nice sizeable donation. I know we are a generous community, and what better way could we show it? If you guys (and gals) think this is a good idea, let me know if you'd be interested in doing something like this. Also, post some charities that you think would be good for us to donate to. If the general consensus is good, I'll email Ben to see if he would post something up on the main site. It'd get way more exposure there.

I set up a PayPal account for us to send donations to: haiti.benheck@gmail.com

Anyway, what do y'all think? Maybe a mod could sticky this?

[Kyo]

No offense, but i'd be more comfortable donating directly to the cause. It's not cause I think you'll run away with the money, but paypal tends to ban these kind of accounts and keep the money for themselves.

[khaag]

Oh really? Well that's fair enough I suppose.

[hackmodford]

I'm sure I'd just donate my money to your email! LOL
Just give us a link to an already well known charity....

No offense intended.

[Rekarp]

Why not donate to the Redcross?

[khaag]

Hahaha, I had good intentions, but I guess you guys are right. I can see where hesitation would be sending money to a virtual stranger, good intentions or not.

I still think you should all donate to the cause if you have the means though! Even if it's just sending a text donation to the Redcross or such organization.

[limpport]

Just don't donate with a credit card! Most companies hold 3% as "transaction fees".

[nevermind1534]

And it is best not to use paypal, because they normally take fees.

[palmertech]

I have donated, I feel a lot of sympathy for the inhabitants of Haiti.

Especially in contrast to when New Orleans got wiped out by Katrina. Really, building a whole town near the coast in known hurricane paths, and most of it is 6 feet below sea level? I was just glad it got wiped out when it did instead of getting larger and larger without anything being done to safeproof all the people who live/lived there.

[Kyo]

Yeah! They had it coming anyway!

[Steamdnt]

Wouldn't it make more sense to send Haiti Food rather than money?
Like plugging the hole in a boat with cash, not very efficient.

[Kyo]

yeah, I'm sure they will directly transfer all the money donated to haitians

[palmertech]

Donating food, blankets, whatever is far less efficient. I know some people that worked with the Red Cross, and a bunch of boxes of random stuff is vastly harder for them to put to good use.