Another Way to Help Haiti In Addition to Supporting Our No Baggage Challenge for Charity

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As you, hopefully, know by now, Larry and I have embarked upon a week-long No Baggage Challenge for Charity. We left the East Coast yesterday morning with just the clothes on our backs and arrived in Las Vegas for CES a few hours later. We are already getting into a routine of determining what we’re going to wear one day while washing the clothes we wore the previous one. It’s a great way to demonstrate how little we actually need while traveling- especially when using SCOTTEVEST clothing, but there is an additional reason why we are doing this. It was a year ago that the devastating earthquake struck Haiti. On January 12 of last year’s the destruction was fast, furious and beyond comprehension. 40 nonprofit organizations raised $43 million through “text-to-give” campaigns. Yes, they harnessed the power of mobile devices and used them to raise money for those who were in desperate need. In addition a number of websites got together and raised needed funds as well. I’m proud that Judie immediately jumped in and got Gear Diary to be one of the websites taking the lead.

During our No Baggage Challenge for Charity we are raising funds for a small but important nonprofit organization–the Haiti Plunge. I was introduced to the organization through members of my community who have gone to Haiti with them to do work while there and have continued to raise money since.

Another Way to Help Haiti In Addition to Supporting Our No Baggage Challenge for Charity

Rob and his son Danny are returning to Haiti again this spring but their efforts to support plunge have continued without pause. Danny and his friend Jeremy are selling some awesome T-shirts, the proceeds from which are going to Haiti plunge. (The site for selling the shirts is now setup to accept Paypal.) In addition, through our travels to CES and home we are raising money directly through Scott Jordan of SCOTTEVEST and through your generous donations as well. Thank you to all of you who have already taken part and thank you in advance to those of you who will.

This morning we received a press release that while here at CES the “text to give” campaigns will once again be highlighted and used to raise money as the January 12 one year anniversary approaches. For example, if you text the word “quake” to the text number 20222 you will support the Clinton Bush Haiti relief fund with a $10 gift. The donations are billed directly to your wireless phone bill and 100% of the donation will go to the organization. For a full list of the organizations who are involved and the number to which you should text please read the following press release.

When we first started this No Baggage Challenge for charity a dear friend of mine made the comment–“but with so much devastation is a little bit here and a little bit there really make that much of a difference?” (Mind you, this is one of the most actively involved people I know.) It is a reasonable question to which I have what I believe is a reasonable answer. It comes out of the tradition from which I have been taught and it tells us–

“Ours is not to complete the task, but neither do we have the option to opt out completely.”

Thank you in advance for your support.

Cool, New Phones at CES Perfect for Mobile Giving to Haiti Relief

For Next Week’s First Anniversary of Haiti Earthquake, Text?to?Give Campaigns Still Help Those Still in Need; Great Opportunity to Give Back

SEATTLE, WA – Jan. 4, 2011 – On January 12th last year, a devastating earthquake struck Haiti, and the world responded through relief efforts, including what became a watershed event for mobile giving when more than $43 million were raised by nearly 40 non-profit organizations through text?to?give campaigns. As next week’s anniversary of the tragedy approaches, the Mobile Giving Foundation (MGF) reminds members of the consumer electronics industry to make a $5 or $10 donation (up to $30 total) via their mobile phones during this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The pioneer of mobile giving dedicated to helping charitable organizations raise funds through the mobile channel, the MGF was the “clearinghouse” for funds raised through the mobile channel for Haiti earthquake relief, receiving remittance of monies collected by mobile carriers from donors and distributing 100 percent of those funds to recipient charities. The MGF had the first mobile-giving campaign for Haiti earthquake relief on behalf of Yele Foundation operational within an hour of the quake and ultimately supported more than three dozen other charities in North America in their text-to-give campaigns for quake victims.

Donations generated from almost 6 million people using mobile giving were put to use in country in record time thanks in large part to special expedited payments made by the wireless operators, and helped provide front line response including medical support, water, food, security and shelter. “One year later, the need for financial relief in Haiti still exists, as there remains a great deal of infrastructure to be rebuilt, homes to construct and widespread diseases to fight,” said Jim Manis, chairman and CEO of the MGF. “Given the vast gathering of industry members at CES this week, we humbly ask that each person considers a donation on behalf of a charity working to help last year’s earthquake victims. The process takes less than 30 seconds and can be performed while standing in a cab line, waiting to get into a party or simply walking the show floor.”

Please support one of these charities and their active relief efforts in Haiti:
Text the word QUAKE to 20222 to support the Clinton Bush Haiti Relief Fund with a $10 gift
Text the word MERCY to 25383 to support Mercy Corps with a $10 gift
Text the word HAITI to 501501 to support the Yele Foundation with a $10 gift
Text the word RISING to 41010 to support JP/Haitian Relief Organization with a $10 gift

Donations are billed to the donor’s wireless phone bill and remitted on a 100% pass through basis. Standard message and data rates may apply.

The Mobile Giving Foundation now works with more than 800 charities, helping them to carefully execute fundraising campaigns that benefit tens of millions of people. To learn more about the Mobile Giving Foundation and current campaigns, visit www.mobilegiving.org.

About The Mobile Giving Foundation (MGF)

The Mobile Giving Foundation (MGF) was founded in 2007 to create a “mobile giving channel” that empowers non-profit organizations and donors. Working with North America’s top mobile carriers, the MGF enables the mobile channel for charitable giving by providing the organizational layer, operational guidelines and technical infrastructure for non?profit organizations and donors to use the incredible power and convenience of mobile technology. The “Mobile Giving Channel” gives wireless users a simple and immediate way to receive and respond to appeals from worthy causes with the donation charged back to the carrier bill and 100 percent of the donation going to the designated charity. For further information, please refer to the MGF website at www.mobilegiving.org.

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About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.

9 Comments on "Another Way to Help Haiti In Addition to Supporting Our No Baggage Challenge for Charity"

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  3. Another Way to Help Haiti In Addition to Supporting Our No Baggage …: Rob and his son Danny are returning to H…

  4. Another Way to Help Haiti In Addition to Supporting Our No Baggage …: Rob and his son Danny are returning to H…

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  7. sean walker | January 5, 2011 at 8:59 am |

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  9. Another Way to Help Haiti In Addition to Supporting Our No Baggage …: As you, hopefully, know by now, Larry an…

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