Hang on to that old tent and case of water you'd like to donate to Haitians. Better to cash out that piggy bank you had saved for a rainy day.
When it comes to aid for Haiti, cash is gold. Right now, stuff is tough, if not impossible, to get to Haiti.
"Most organizations need money, not supplies," said John Winings of Wake Forest, executive director of Haiti Fund Inc., a nonprofit that leads sustainable development projects in the country. "There is no effective, coordinated effort for delivering all of the materials."
The earthquake of Jan. 12 shook Haiti to its core, severing feeble transportation and communication systems. Those breakdowns have delayed the delivery of aid and now are hampering a rush of charity to the impoverished nation.
A number of Triangle churches and organizations have supported schools, clinics and orphanages in Haiti for years. Those long-standing connections have been tested since the earthquake, but already those groups are preparing for the day they can help in rebuilding.
For the time being, relief groups are warning against the urge to collect stuff and instead encouraging people to channel their energy and good will into fundraising.
Tip 1: Stuff takes time
If you are called on to donate goods, know that it may be awhile before they arrive in Haiti.
All shipments by commercial airlines and delivery companies are on hold.
American Airlines has warehouses full of crates of undeliverable supplies. FedEx simply isn't accepting shipments. The Port-au-Prince port, which handled most major deliveries, just reopened Thursday, too.
Even if supplies get through the airport or ports, getting them to the needy is another major challenge.
Many roads are blocked with debris. Others are clogged with makeshift settlements of Haitians trying to keep away from unstable buildings.
Tip 2: Stay home
If you want to get down to Haiti and help, think again.
Volunteers are being turned away. Even medical professionals working with organizations with established camps are having trouble getting to Haiti.
If you have never been to Haiti and if you have no skill to offer, relief groups want you to stay back. Volunteers who can't fend for themselves drain valuable resources the Haitians need.
"Haiti doesn't need sight seers. It doesn't need rubbernecks who want a front seat to this disaster," said Miles Wright, co-founder of Hearts with Haiti, a nonprofit agency based in Raleigh. Wright has just returned from Haiti, where he rescued a wounded staff member.
If the hardship of Haiti is tugging at you, Wright advises that you make a silent pledge to get down there in the next three months to six months. In the meantime, learn some helpful building skills. Rebuilding Haiti will take years.
Tip 3: It's about money
Cash allows established relief organizations the resources and flexibility to employ tried-and-true methods.
Relief groups have good reasons for needing cash. It is a matter of logistics.
If a group is distributing tents, volunteers must teach recipients how to set them up. More than 100 types of tents means 100 different lessons to volunteers. That's time and resources that group can't spare. Better to give money that can be used to buy tents.
Relief groups offering aid in foreign countries are also committed to buying the goods in the devastated region as soon as they are available for purchase. It offers an important lift to the local economy, Winings said.
For those who want to turn their belongings into gifts for Haitians now, plan a yard sale and donate proceeds to established organizations.
Tip 4: Need will last
Can't help today? There's more work tomorrow and hundreds of tomorrows after that.
Rebuilding Haiti will be exhausting and time-consuming. Many groups are beginning to conceive of how to help down the road. Check with your local church or aid groups to ask if they are working toward a long-term goal. Offer to help with that.
Also, some organizations, particularly major international relief groups like the Red Cross or Doctors Without Borders, can make use of donations now. They will continue to need support, as will many smaller groups called upon to rebuild Haiti.
