American Charity Donations to Haiti Surpass $709M

By By Audrey Barrick
haiti-donations.jpg
Shadows are cast onto the entrance of a refugee camp with a banner asking for help in the Cite Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Friday, Feb. 12, 2010. One month ago a powerful earthquake struck Haiti, killing many and leaving thousands homeless. AP Images / Javier Galeano

American charities have contributed more than $709 million to aid quake-stricken Haiti.

Some of the largest gifts from the U.S. came through the American Red Cross ($271 million), Catholic Relief Services ($37.3 million), the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund ($40 million), Doctors Without Borders ($43.5 million), U.S. Fund for UNICEF ($44.7 million), and World Vision ($24.7 million), the Chronicle of Philanthropy reported.

It's been one month since the 7.0-magnitude earthquake turned much of the Caribbean nation into rubble. Amid the chaos and grief, Haitians stopped on Friday to mourn the losses, including the deaths of more than 200,000 people. The nation observed a moment of silence at 4:53 p.m., the time the earthquake struck on Jan. 12.

The devastation has prompted millions of people to open their hearts and wallets for the quake victims, hundreds of thousands of whom are now homeless and hungry.

The United Methodist Church alone has donated $11 million for relief work in Haiti.

"The journey to bring relief to Haiti is going to be long and hard. It calls for generosity and sacrifice," said the Rev. Paul Doherty, chair of the Michigan Area Haiti task force and a United Methodist Committee on Relief liaison, according to the denomination's news service. "A brighter day will come for Haiti."

Other U.S.-based denominations have collected large donations from member churches, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ($4.2 million), the Southern Baptist Convention (more than $4 million), and Christian Reformed Church in North America ( more than $1.7 million), among others.

"We are grateful that Southern Baptists are once again showing our heart for the world in a tangible way," said David Steverson, treasurer at the International Mission Board, in a statement. "As monetary gifts pour into various Southern Baptist entities and a multitude of disaster relief volunteers work tirelessly to help the people of Haiti, it is gratifying to be able to give back when others are in need."

Haitians are observing three days of national mourning.

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