Do the World a Favor

In the time it takes you to read this blog, you’ll probably receive a text message. (Or, if you’re like me, you’ll receive a dozen messages.)

While you have your phone out, do the world a favor. Text the word "HAITI" to 90999. In about 5 seconds, you’ll get a verification text that asks you to reply with "YES." Do it. Right now. I did.

You’ve just made a donation to the American Red Cross’s Haiti relief effort. It feels good, doesn’t it? I sent my first 90999 HAITI text last weekend during the NFL playoffs when I saw a commercial at halftime. The next day I heard that $22 million had been raised by text messages. As of January 21, that total passed $25 million.

But know what? $25 million isn’t a lot of money. Up at the Monroe Campus, we desperately need a new campus. It’s going to cost over $70 million. That covers a couple buildings, parking lots, and a little quad area. In Haiti, whole towns have been leveled. Everyone knows about the 200,000+ deaths. In addition, millions of people survived. They need food, water, basic shelter, medicine, medical facilities, and medical care, and they need it immediately. That stuff won’t get them "back to normal." It will just get them through the worst of the worst.

Tempted to text 90999 again? Do it. Right now, in your comfy chair, in front of your computer, in your heated room, with your state-of-the-art cell phone, help bring somebody water or medicine. There are people in groups like Doctors Without Borders and the U.S. military who are endangering themselves and working inhuman hours in disaster conditions to aid and comfort dying and devastated people. You’re reading a blog.

Want to know how dire the situation really is? Most any day, you can go on Facebook and see all your friends complaining about their cell phone providers. Well, ordinarily when you donate to a charity via texting, it takes 90 days for those providers to release that money to charities. The cell phone companies are actually waiving their policies to get money to Haiti fast. Yes, the cell phone companies are doing something inarguably, unquestionably good for once. Imagine that.

Now it’s your turn. I don’t care if you’ve never heard of Haiti before two weeks ago. You can give up 2 Subway footlong hoagies until your next paycheck to help other people stay alive and find shelter.

When you’re done reading my blog, respond and tell people you’ve donated. Post the link on your Facebook page and send it to everybody you know. Let them know how easy it is to donate, and urge them to do it too. Make them feel guilty if they don’t. They’ll get over it. The people in Haiti, however, might not.

About the Author:  Randy Boone enjoys writing poetry and stories, creating comic strips, following professional wrestling and eating cookies.  His poems and short stories have been published in a variety of literary magazines.  He was not sure he wanted to blog, but we hope he will blog again.  Just don't call him a blogger.  You can call him an excellent teacher.  He teaches writing at Northampton Community College where he received the Christiansen Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2005.  

The Northampton Community College faculty and staff includes experts on everything from art to nanotechnology.  As teachers, they enjoy challenging students and each other to think carefully and critically about topics in the news.  Whether you agree or disagree with the views expressed in their blogs, join the discussion by posting your own thoughts.  To do, so, click on “Join” (above) and then sign in, or e-mail your comments to hbutler@northampton.edu for posting.