Haiti Aid Donations Could Top Katrina

(CBS)  Across the country, there is an outpouring of support, like at a fundraiser in a Haitian restaurant in Los Angeles.

"There's children laying there, they're covered with cardboard," said Patrick Cadichon, who was born in Haiti. "Put yourself in that child's shoes - right before he's looking for his parents. We have to do something."

Experts believe that donations are on course to be the biggest ever, topping Katrina and the 2004 Tsunami, reports CBS News correspondent Randall Pinkston.

How to Help Victims
"Family Links" Web site for the Missing
Blog: The Latest Developments
Complete Coverage: Devastation in Haiti

The United Nations reports governments, so far, have pledged $323 million. Corporations at least $139 million and the pledges are still coming in - with more than 30 companies donating $1 million each.

Technology is helping, too, allowing anyone with a cell phone to give.

"People can text the word 'Haiti' to 90999 and it will make, an automatic $10 donation will be deducted from your cell phone bill and will come to the American Red Cross for Haiti relief," said Wendy Harmon with the American Red Cross.

As of Friday, the Red Cross has raised $9 million from mobile giving, an astounding $100,000 an hour.

Many companies are also providing goods and services. In Colorado, Crocs has donated 70,000 pairs of shoes and 20 truckloads of medical supplies.

Several airlines, including American and Spirit are giving bonus frequent flier miles in exchange for donations to Haitian earthquake relief.

Celebrities are also digging deep, plus millions from nonprofit organizations.

Haitian-Americans are also getting help with their biggest concern - finding missing love ones.

Friday in Miami, a women's center helped Haitians search on the Web. Several newspapers, including the Miami Herald and the New York Times are providing resources as well.

It is, perhaps, Haiti's worst hour. But Haitians insist they will survive.

"It is in us, that's part of our inner strength, to come through bad situations, we have in the past and we will again," said Martine Urbine, a Haitian-American.

And with help, they will.

[sjc_1]

Hauling debris after Katrina went out as a no bid contract. The top contractor charged $65 a cubic yard to the U.S. Government and then subcontracted it down through 6 layers to the final people that actually hauled it for $6 per cubic yard. There is your rich get richer by taking money for nothing system.

[worldcitizen1]

It's good to see the US population helping the people of Haiti, most people expected the US gov. to respond to Katrina with the money we pay in taxes for the national guard and other gov. agencies, had they known that the gov. was not doing their jobs well enough to deal with the disaster, i think they would have helped more. The US would be much better off and safer if we would be willing to spend as much on helping people in need than on military hardware and weapon systems. The cost of the unnecessary aggressive war in Iraq would have gone a long way to help people in need around the world. Following the true teachings of Jesus, PEACE and helping those in need.