If You Wish To Give

It is important to support charities that will provide the most aid in a time of crisis.

I chose to give some money in response to the Tsunami tragedy to Catholic Relief Services. CRS has a strong history of low overhead, immediate-needs assistance. They were already on the ground in the areas hit by the Tsunami, which means almost every cent donated goes to actual aid, not overhead costs. You can visit their web-site, and follow the big "Donate Here" link to add to their efforts.

http://www.catholicrelief.org/home.cfm

January 3, 2005, Baltimore, MD - Catholic Relief Services (CRS) President and CEO Ken Hackett issued the following statement regarding President Bush’s announcement of the fundraising initiative to be carried out by former Presidents Bush and Clinton for generating American public support of humanitarian agencies’ tsunami relief efforts.

“Catholic Relief Services is grateful for the vital support this will bring to relief workers, our local partners and all those we’re assisting in this crisis. The visibility of two former presidents promoting American private, charitable contributions demonstrates a commitment by the U.S. government that we believe is appropriate and necessary for responding to what will be a lengthy period of recovery across the south and southeast Asia region. We remain impressed and grateful for the generosity Americans have shown, time and again, in support of life-saving relief efforts. And, we are heartened that President Bush has acknowledged Catholic Relief Services as one of the leading humanitarian agencies to have responded quickly and responsibly to this dire emergency.”

"CRS' tsunami relief efforts address both emergency and long-term recovery needs in the most devastated areas, primarily in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. CRS' assistance focuses on water purification and sanitation, shelter, distribution of essential food and nonfood items, medical care, trauma counseling, psycho-social support, and the rebuilding of communities to restore livelihoods. CRS has committed an initial $25 million for its relief operations in response to the crisis, and has acknowledged that the amount is likely to grow as the agency assesses the greatest areas of need, gravity of the situation and estimated time for recovery.

CRS has had a significant presence in south and southeast Asia for more than 60 years, providing both emergency and long-term development assistance. The official international humanitarian organization of the U.S. Catholic community, CRS provides assistance to people in 99 countries and territories based on need, regardless of race, creed or nationality.