Haiti relief hits $37 million in first 48 hours, Red Cross says

In the first 48 hours after the earthquake hit in Haiti, the American Red Cross has raised $37 million to support relief efforts. A record-breaking $9 million has already been raised through mobile giving, which allows donors to give a $10 donation to the Red Cross efforts in Haiti by texting "Haiti" to 90999. Locally, the Northern Nevada Chapter has seen an outpouring of support and donations designated for emergency assistance in Haiti.

The Red Cross cannot accept donations of goods and clothing, as there is nowhere to store them and it would be difficult to transport the items to Haiti. The Red Cross is most in need of financial gifts in order to best serve the victims of this disaster.

The American Red Cross now has dozens of disaster specialists on the ground in Haiti assessing the damage, addressing urgent needs and establishing the foundation for a long-term recovery operation. American emergency disaster units are being joined by specially trained teams from Red Cross societies across the globe.

At this time, the American Red Cross is only deploying volunteers specially trained to manage international emergency operations. Medical personnel who wish to help can register at the Center for International Disaster Information, www.cidi.org, an independent site that matches organizations with offers of service.

If you are trying to reach a U.S. citizen living or traveling in Haiti, you should contact the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services at 1-888-407-4747. The International Committee of the Red Cross has also established a family linking web site, www.icrc.org/familylinks, enabling people in Haiti and abroad to search for and register the names of relatives missing since the earthquake.

If you wish to make a donation to the relief efforts in Haiti, you can do so through the Northern Nevada Chapter's web site, www.nevada.redcross.org, or by visiting www.redcross.org. Donors may call 856-1000 or 1-800-REDCROSS, and can also mail checks made out to American Red Cross with Haiti Earthquake Relief in the memo line to the Northern Nevada Chapter, American Red Cross, 1190 Corporate Blvd., Reno, NV 89502.