Fri, January 22, 2010 - 11:10:53

Overcoming Tragedy with Small Steps

Over the past week, we’ve all watched with deep sadness as the devastation in Haiti following last Tuesday’s massive earthquake has dominated news headlines.  But, amid all of the images of suffering and misfortune, amazing stories of triumph, survival, and humanity have also emerged and in the face of tragedy, we’ve seen how all of us can join together to do good. From global humanitarian organizations to everyday citizens, people across the world have been providing aid to the millions of hungry, injured, and displaced Haitians by taking on the enormous catastrophe one small step at a time.

Chances are that by now you’ve heard of the massive campaign launched by the American Red Cross that has raised millions of dollars for earthquake relief simply by allowing individuals to donate $10 by texting the word “HAITI” to the phone number 90999, and perhaps you’ve even done it yourself.  But, it’s just one of the many ways charities are innovating their approach toward disaster relief. 

For a number of organizations, the secret to affecting immediate change in the face of this tragedy has been to work from the ground up instead of from the top down.  By concentrating on one family or small village at a time and involving them directly in the rehabilitation process, aid workers like Build Change founder Elisabeth A. Hausler believe that areas can rebuild and revitalize faster and more effectively than they could if working through traditional government channels.  Having successfully used this method to help earthquake-ravaged communities in Indonesia and China, Hausler remarks to Henry Fountain of the New York Times, “you’d have to have your head in the sand to not buy into this approach.”

Others have found success on an even smaller scale. While Tom Davis of Food for the Hungry is on the ground in Haiti providing help to those in need, his teenage daughter and friends back home in Winston Salem North Carolina have been doing their part to raise funds by selling hot chocolate at local businesses and donating one hundred percent of the proceeds to Davis’ charity organization. “I remember hearing the numbers of people dying and the billions of dollars in destruction,” one volunteer remarked to NBC News. “I couldn’t even comprehend the type of disaster and I knew I had to do something to help out. Truly every little bit helps. Every single dollar is a dollar to help a starving child or someone who doesn’t have water.”

So, this weekend we ask you to think of that young volunteer’s sentiment and remember that there’s a hero inside of each of us and through even your tiniest actions, you really can make a difference.

Posted by Linda and Robin