Haiti – Charity through text messages

A few days ago, I read an article in the New York Times describing the “ever-accelerating pace” of technological advances that is creating “mini-generation gaps” concluding that “younger generations are going to have some very peculiar and unique expectations about the world”.  These newest generations, the article went on to say, “will expect an instant response from everyone they communicate with, and won’t have the patience for anything less”.

While I remember the days of calling somebody by putting a finger in the finger hole that corresponded with each character of a phone number on a rotary phone, rotating the dial clockwise until it reached the finger stop, releasing so that the dial returned to it’s resting position and having to remain stationary for the duration of the call, it is quite amazing that within decades children of today know nothing but mobile phones whose screens you just slide your finger across to make that call.

So, it’s even more amazing that technology has put us in a position to affect change in other people’s lifes now, today, IMMEDIATELY.  All of a sudden this is not so bad.  Yesterday’s incomprehensible 7.0 scale earthquake in Haiti, a country who is “no stranger to hardship” in President Obama’s words, is one such instance were immediate reaction is needed.  A lot of us are paralyzed by the event I know.  Some wondering why Haiti? – already so impoverished, hurricanes last year, civil war last decade; others publicly displaying their ignorance and hatred for mankind in the name of religion  It is interesting how an act of nature combined with poverty (poor infrastructure) to create this disaster just brings out the worst in people.

Maybe once upon a time, it would have been easier to just sit around in our circles of friends and lament about those poor people over there.  Afterall, we have our lives, our jobs, and our families to take care off.  We can’t all just drop what we are doing and go there to help. And yeah, we could send money, but we have our own financial difficulties, we can’t spare fifty bucks, and besides it wouldn’t do anything, probably just all go to administration or to the CEO of the charity’s pocket.  And when we convince ourselves that we really should send money, we figure well I have no checks, I have no stamps, I have no envelopes, I don’t have the time to sit on the phone on hold, I don’t have my credit card on me to enter details on a website… 

Well you know what?  You need none of that to make a difference in 2010.  If AT&T customers can send a record-breaking 78 million text messages to American Idol in the 2008 season, it really shouldn’t be difficult to send a text message in support of Haiti.  You can text either or both of the options below (and more than once if you desire):

(1) Send “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross International Response Fund. 

(2) Send “YELE” to 501501 to donate $5 to Wyclef Jean’s Yele Haiti Foundation. 

The charge will be added to your cell phone bill at the end of your current billing cycle.  You will receive a confirmation and a Thank You. 

I have FAITH that the money will go straight to humanitarian relief efforts because it is emergency relief.

I did it.  So should you.