Haiti Earthquake Relief

We all know what happened to Haiti a few days ago. The entire nation has been completely devastated by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. The death toll is staggering; schools, hospitals, government offices and even archbishop's office have collapsed. The archbishop himself died after being trapped in his office. This is such a devastating scenario and I am really bothered by the whole thing, and I have to write it on the blog.

Why? I want to make up for what I was NOT able to do late last year. In September 2009, my home country, the Philippines, was devastated by the worst flooding in 40 years. It left millions homeless, thousands missing or dead, and their lives were changed forever. Two back-to-back typhoons hit the country with such devastating blows that waters 10 to 20 feet high engulfed entire cities. I donated to the cause, I spread the word on my personal Facebook account, but I did not write about it here, thinking that this is a beauty blog and the disaster did not have any connection with makeup and skincare. Well, I was wrong. I realized that giving to neighbors in need is the ultimate act of beauty, a way to enrich the lives not only of the recipient, but of the giver as well. It gives a sense of purpose to the inanities beauty blogs are filled with, and it truly makes the world more beautiful. It gives joy to the heart and uplifts the spirit in a way that no cosmetic or beauty product can ever do. It gives self-esteem to both the giver and the receiver. There is no greater feeling than knowing that you have contributed to a worthwhile cause.

And so now, I appeal to you, dear readers, to donate to the Haiti Earthquake Relief fund. It only takes a second of your time, and you don't even need to give out your credit card information, since some organizations can receive funds via Paypal. Please donate! If we can spend $20 on lipstick, we can donate the same amount (or more!) to help an entire nation devastated by the earthquake.

As of Jan. 13, the Red Cross has already collected over $1 million from donations via text messages. We text our friends for the most senseless of reasons, here is one great way to TEXT and HELP. Each text is about $5-$10. Below are some ways you can help:

YELE HAITI EARTHQUAKE FUND
donate on http://www.yele.org
Text YELE to 501501 to donate $5 via your cell phone

AMERICAN RED CROSS-Text “HAITI” to “90999″ to make a $10 donation.
- 2025 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
- (800) REDCROSS (800-257-7575)
- www.redcross.org

You can also check the list of reputable organizations supporting the efforts in Haiti.

One of the simplest ways to donate is via GlobalGiving.org. You can donate with a few clicks of your mouse, and you can pay via credit card or Paypal.

Thank you and please spread the word! Re-tweet this post, or just simply send an e-mail to everyone on your list with the Haiti victims in mind.