I am insensitive. I woke up this morning worked out, got a pedicure and came home to do some work before leaving town for the weekend. I was planning a post on my favorite snack bars of all things. I poked around the internet, reading some of my favorite blogs and was basically called out. On a site I love called Ivy League Insecurites, I read about the Help Haiti Blog Challenge. I knew of the devastating earthquake this week and am generally an empathetic person. Why then had I basically gone about my week without stopping to think about the horror of Haiti? Countless people are now day 3 without food and water. Why hadn’t I done anything? I am not sure but would bet I am not the only newly insensitive one. So I did some research (aka searched twitter for “food and Haiti) focused on the food situation in Haiti and came up with some ideas.
Ways you can help:
1. If you are a blogger, join the Help Haiti Blog Challenge
2. Check out Eater.com for information of benefit dinners for Haiti
3. Take some of the extra dry goods from your pantry and donate it to the Red Cross or bring it to UPS. UPS will ship anything less than 50 pounds free to Haiti.
4. Sign up for Foodtraining. If you book an initial session with me by Monday 1/18, I will donate the profits to Haiti.
It’s so easy to get caught up in our lives and lists and luxuries, I did. I’m so happy I was called out and that I woke up. Let me know what you’re doing to help Haiti.
Lauren, I am so glad you have jumped in. I so often feel exactly the way you describe. I go about my days, tending to my needs and those of my family, and tune out the devastating things in the world. I sat there this morning, sick myself and flanked by my sick husband and sick daughter (talk about weight loss plan! I kid!) and read Kelly's post and literally said to myself: "I am lucky to be immersed in this misfortune." I am glad that we are all being shaken from those cobwebs of complacency to do a little good.
Great post.
thanks for a great blog Lauren. we took up a donation at work and the funds are being matched 100% by our company. this hit home for us. one of jenna's classmates grandmother lives in port au-prince and they were very lucky to be out of the city when the earthquake happened. it took 5 days, and many communication channels to be able to find out that she was alive. life is very short. great lesson in this — proper goodbyes. we do it in our house everyday… one never knows what will happen during the course of the day.
Oh my goodness Julie, I just got chills. Although I still kick myself for the delay, once I woke up a couple of things happen. Of course my heard breaks for the people of Haiti and their grief, shock, fear and all that comes with a quake. And then like you Aidan or you Julie we remind ourselves that our little struggles are little and our gifts great.