As we all try to get our mind around the unimaginable destruction visited upon our neighbor Haiti, I wanted to help in some small way (Haiti is only 680 miles southwest of Miami — about the same distance and direction Atlanta is from us, here in southwest Missouri). My classes and I are collecting money to send to Partners in Health, the organization co-founded by Dr. Paul Farmer, the remarkable subject of Tracy Kidder’s book ‘Mountains Beyond Mountains.’
I chose PIH, among many worthy giving options, because of PIH’s long track record of selfless service to Haiti’s poorest and sickest people. I hope everyone will search their heart and determine what their own response should be to this terrible and probably long-lasting tragedy.
View before and after satellite images of Port-Au-Prince from the ‘New York Times’.
link http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/01/14/world/20100114-haiti-imagery.html
If you are not familiar with Paul Farmer, you should buy or borrow “Mountains Beyond Mountains.” It is a book you won’t be able to get out of your consciousness.
If you would consider donating to relief efforts in Haiti, please check out Partners in Health’s website
link http://www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti
or any one of the other fine agencies listed on the front page of the Huffington Post.
link http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Our feeling of powerlessness and insignificance is completely understandable in the face of the incredible force of nature and the scale of human suffering it has caused. It should not, however, serve as a rationalization for our doing nothing.
Smashey's Blog 
Your last paragraph sums up exactly what I was feeling. I love that you’re involving your students; I plan on taking that idea and using it with mine as well.
Funny, I had just reserved Kidder’s book a few days ago.