Kate Beale: USAID's congressional liaison on Haiti

Kate Beale: USAID's congressional liaison on Haiti: "Four weeks after Kate Beale began her new job as a congressional liaison officer for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), disaster struck in Haiti."

UPS, Home Depot provide disaster relief �| ajc.com

UPS, Home Depot provide disaster relief �| ajc.com: "The Sandy Springs logistics and delivery company also helped take supplies to Haiti after the January earthquake that killed thousands. It did the same in response to this summer's floods in Pakistan.

In addition to the simple philanthropy that that company and Atlanta's Home Depot engage in, they also affect disaster relief efforts globally, aiding relief organizations as they seek and transport goods."

NetHope | Media � Article � Nethope Launches Internship Program In Port Au Prince For Haitian It S

NetHope | Media � Article � Nethope Launches Internship Program In Port Au Prince For Haitian It S: "NetHope Launches Internship Program in Port-au-Prince for Haitian IT Students

September 13, 2010



Port-au-Prince, Haiti – September 13, 2010 – NetHope launched an internship program in Port-au-Prince today for recent Haitian computer science graduates and near-graduates. The six-month program aims to place the students in full-time employment in the information technology (IT) field at its conclusion."

After rough 2009, remittances on rise - Business Monday - MiamiHerald.com

After rough 2009, remittances on rise - Business Monday - MiamiHerald.com: "After the Jan 12 earthquake in Haiti, Pierre Lopez doubled the amount he sends to his family in remittances.

Lopez, 49, a part-time hotel cleaner who lost his wife and 19-year-old daughter in the catastrophe, scrapes by on $400 every two weeks. He used to send $150 to his parents monthly. Now it's $300."

Clap, clap to industry for quake response - Techie Isles - Blogs

Clap, clap to industry for quake response - Techie Isles - Blogs: "New Zealand Prime Minister John Key and city mayor Bob Parker have both branded it a 'miracle' that no-one died in last weekend's Christchurch earthquake.

The magnitude of the quake was as great as that in Haiti, where over 200,000 died. So why did New Zealand escape fatalities from such a powerful disaster? Many reports credit the timing of the quake, which was in the early hours when many will have still been asleep.

But rather than being a miracle, I would say the efforts of Kiwis, particularly its tech sector, can take credit for averting tragedy in this multibillion-dollar disaster."

Boulder Colorado Fire and role of social media : Online Social Media

Boulder Colorado Fire and role of social media : Online Social Media: "The use of social media in times of crisis has become more and more apparent in recent times, for example for the Haiti earthquake, or at the time of the ash cloud from the Iceland volcano, and now social media once again has a role to play. Not only can residents in the area keep tabs on what is happening and what moves to make next but even the sheriff’s department has recognized the importance of social media and the role that it can play, according to Cory Bergman over on LostRemote."

Ottawa urged to extend donation matching deadline for Pakistan floods - Winnipeg Free Press

Ottawa urged to extend donation matching deadline for Pakistan floods - Winnipeg Free Press: "TORONTO - Ottawa must give Canadians more time to aid in Pakistan flood-relief efforts by extending its pledge to match donations dollar-for-dollar, doctors headed to the region said Tuesday.
Canadians have been slow to respond with donations for the Pakistan flooding compared to other disasters like the Haiti earthquake, and the deadline for the dollar matching commitment is Sunday.
The doctors, joined by Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis, called on Ottawa to extend it to the end of the month."

Fundraising suhoor aims to benefit Pakistan’s flood victims - The National Newspaper

Fundraising suhoor aims to benefit Pakistan’s flood victims - The National Newspaper: "ABU DHABI // More than 300 people will be raising aid for flood-ravaged Pakistan while having suhoor tonight.

The Dubai-based Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment is holding the event from 9.30pm until midnight at the Monarch Hotel in Dubai near the Trade Centre.

The event, which aims to keep people aware of the situation in Pakistan, will include an auction of donated items, including works of art photographs, electronics."

Americans Slower to Aid Pakistani Flood Victims | The Rundown News Blog | PBS NewsHour | PBS

Americans Slower to Aid Pakistani Flood Victims | The Rundown News Blog | PBS NewsHour | PBS: "American individuals and corporations have given generously to the people of Pakistan suffering from the worst flooding catastrophe in the nation's history. But that generosity still falls short of the sums Americans have donated to aid victims of other major crises."

Clinton Makes PSA To Help Flood Victims

Clinton Makes PSA To Help Flood Victims: "Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is appearing in public service announcemen..."

Homeland Security Today - preparedness and security news - Nonprofits Face Big Bureaucratic Hurdles

Homeland Security Today - preparedness and security news - Nonprofits Face Big Bureaucratic Hurdles: "utting red tape could boost disaster recovery efforts, GAO says

In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, nonprofit organizations that rushed to the Gulf Coast to help disaster victims were hindered by copious amounts of bureaucratic red tape and federal liaisons with insufficient training to assist them.

But the federal government has been looking at ways to reduce the administrative burden on nonprofits that apply for grant programs to aid disaster victims, congressional investigators reported Monday. Nonprofit organizations told the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in interviews that the federal disaster grant process involved complicated record keeping and documentation procedures, among other complications."

Aging philanthropist is Pakistan's Mother Teresa

Aging philanthropist is Pakistan's Mother Teresa: "PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- The aging man in mud-splattered, frayed clothes has barely lowered his body onto the sidewalk when the money starts piling up. Heeding his call for donations for flood victims, Pakistanis of all classes rush to hand over cash to Abdul Sattar Edhi, whose years of dedication to the poor have made him a national icon."

Fairhaven student gathers shoes for victims of Haiti earthquake - 10 Who Cared - bellinghamherald.com

Fairhaven student gathers shoes for victims of Haiti earthquake - 10 Who Cared - bellinghamherald.com: "When the magnitude 7 earthquake hit Haiti last January, Joe Ludwigson knew he wanted to help.
Just 14, Joe knew a boy from Haiti. They met six years ago when Joe and his mother traveled to the island nation because his parents, Eric and Jenny Ludwigson, were adopting a Haitian boy."

Digicel, youths build school from containers - Breaking & Current Jamaica News - JamaicaObserver.com

Digicel, youths build school from containers - Breaking & Current Jamaica News - JamaicaObserver.com: "PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti: The first school built under an partnership between Digicel and the United States Agency for International Development USAID was opened here yesterday.
�cole Louis de Borno in L�og�ne - the town located at the epicentre of the January 12th earthquake - will welcome 600 primary students when the new school year begins on October 4."

Earthquakes and Floods: Comparing Haiti and Pakistan - Brookings Institution

Earthquakes and Floods: Comparing Haiti and Pakistan - Brookings Institution: "AUGUST 26, 2010 —
Comparisons between the response to the Haitian earthquake and to Pakistan’s floods are perhaps inevitable, as these major tragedies occurred within seven months of each other. Much of the commentary has focused on possible reasons for the disproportionate donor response to the two disasters. But there are other similarities – and differences – between the two cases that deserve further attention. This short article seeks to provide some comparisons between disasters in Haiti and Pakistan by looking first at the difference in the nature of the disasters, followed by comparison of housing needs, displacement, and the international response"

Public News Service-North Carolina Non-profits Brace For Intense Hurricane Season

Public News Service: "JACKSONVILLE, N.C. - North Carolina is more likely to see a severe hurricane this year, compared to years past, according to the National Weather Service. As the country remembers the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, non-profits like the Eastern Carolina Human Services Agency, Jacksonville, say they are better prepared now to handle such a disaster."

Pakistani community questions slow start to donation flow - Winnipeg Free Press

Pakistani community questions slow start to donation flow - Winnipeg Free Press: "Now — as Khan’s home country of Pakistan is in need of help as flood waters wreak havoc— the St. Vital man is left wondering why the public response to the disaster doesn’t seem to measure to the energetic effort that surrounded Haiti.

'For me, it’s really painful,' said Khan, who came to Canada in 1997 and runs Grocery Bazar on St. Mary’s Road. 'If there’s anywhere in the world that this is happening, everyone should come forward and help.'"

4 Reasons Americans Aren't Giving for Pakistan - International - The Atlantic

4 Reasons Americans Aren't Giving for Pakistan - International - The Atlantic: "The two most common answers are the poor economy and donor fatigue. While they are certainly playing a role, these two factors provide an incomplete picture. The economy was just as bad in January as it is now, with U6 joblessness unchanged and unemployment actually decreasing from 9.7 to 9.5 percent. The much-cited 'donor fatigue' claim argues that people are currently short on expendable cash or even human sympathy after the Haiti earthquake of seven months ago. However, if donor fatigue were really such a powerful force, then the world would not have responded with an overwhelmingly generous $5 billion in aid to the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, which occurred just over nine months after the 2004 tsunami. Clearly there is something more at play. Here are four factors more plausibly contributing to the low individual U.S. giving rate in response to the Pakistan floods."

TheSpec - Canada will match donations

TheSpec - Canada will match donations: "OTTAWA - The federal government moved yesterday to kick-start giving for Pakistan flood relief by offering to match private donations, dollar for dollar.
Donations for flood aid made between Aug. 2 and Sept. 12 will be matched by federal money with no upper limit, Government House leader John Baird said."

Australians have charity blind spot on Pakistan

Australians have charity blind spot on Pakistan: "AUSTRALIANS have a ''compassion blind spot'' when it comes to the Pakistan floods, says World Vision Australia chief executive Tim Costello.

World Vision has raised about $785,000 in the three weeks of the Pakistan disaster. At the same stage after the earthquake in Haiti in January, it had raised close to $10 million."