As the horrifying tsunami death toll continues to grow, people around the world have moved to donate something to the countries worst hit, be it blood, medical supplies or good old-fashioned cash. With the victims on the other side of the globe, many are turning to the Internet to funnel their good will. With just the click of a mouse, help is on the way.
Google, naturally, has links aplenty to offer: google.com/tsunami_relief.html. There’s an archive of Google news coverage, and a long list of organizations spearheading relief efforts.
The Red Cross is a perennial favorite, where most Americans turned when 9/11 struck; you can donate directly at redcross.org, or through amazon.com.
The SEA-EAT tsunami blog provides up-to-date news on the relief effort: tsunamihelp.blogspot.com. Here you can read first-person accounts of the disaster, as well as a section on missing persons, where friends and families can post notices — it’s particularly heartbreaking to read.
As hard as it is to believe, there are people out there heartless enough to attempt to capitalize on this tragedy by setting up fake donation sites; many countries — including the United States — have already encountered fraudulent tsunami sites and e-mail scams. Make sure the organization you choose is valid and established. And, as always, it’s wise to use a site that employs up-to-date encryption to protect your credit card number.
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