Dear Haiti,

I want to help. No, I can’t be in your country to lift the rubble. No, I have no medical skills, though I can’t tell you how many times watching the news over the past several days I wished I had gone to medical school. Or wished that I was in some way capable of healing the ailing and the dying people in your country.

And now that we are so many days into this tragic state of affairs, this disaster of epic proportions, people start turning away from the news. I know I have. After days of being plugged in, I could only take so much. The story was the same day in and day out. The disaster would not change, it would not disappear. And it becomes too much, because really and truly you just feel helpless, and then selfish. Because you are safe. In your own bubble, complaining about traffic, or maybe that your back hurts. Maybe you don’t feel like making dinner, maybe mad the dog had an accident in the house. You get the picture. And so Haiti has become another one for the history books.

Except.

Well, you can help. You can still go about your life, all while reaching out a hand. One of the coolest ways to do this was through the invention of the Red Cross text donation. A small amount would be donated to Haiti just by texting a number. Incredible!

And then recently I came across a site called Switchcities, a collaboration of some amazingly talented photographers, who were sharing some of their personal work together. They put together a print auction and the concept was simple. Photographers donated a print for auction and the winning bid goes directly to charity. A win/win situation. The winning bids will be donated to Haiti AND the winning bidder gets a beautiful photographic print. The first auction was a huge success and they have just started a second auction. I have donated a print for this second auction and would love it if you could take a look at mine http://switchcities.com/carrie-hasson/, and all of the other artistic and creative prints that are up for bid http://switchcities.com/auctions/haiti-relief-print-auction/.

Haiti is in need, and this is such a wonderful way that you can help. 100% of the proceeds go to Haiti relief!

Mahalo~