CBS News spot on ET adoptions and fraud

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/15/cbsnews_investigates/main6210911.shtml?tag=cbsContent;cbsCarousel

Very interesting, especially the part when the young girl mentions that she thought she would be more of an exchange student. That is essentially what our agency told us when we were going through the process - that many of the parents who relinquish their kids view adoption as an exchange program. That is, that the kids will come to the US, get an education, but hopefully return to ET to their true families, to help their birth country.

More celebs helping Haiti

More celebrity singers helping Haiti

http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2010/01/28/michael-w-smith-and-famous-friends-come-together-for-haiti/

Awesome team up for Haiti

According to Mr. Swerl (if you didn't know, Mrs. Swerl has been writing all the posts for the past 2 weeks), this is the best thing that has ever happened - Shane MacGowan, Nick Cave and Johnny Depp team up to help Haiti.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/jan/28/shane-macgowan-nick-cave

Who asked you, Paul Shirley?

You won't believe this letter, written by ex-NBA player Paul Shirley. He is a real gem (NOT) and quite a compassionate fellow (more like a massive tool).

http://www.flipcollective.com/2010/01/26/if-you-rebuild-it-they-will-come-by-paul-shirley/

UPDATE - ESPN just dropped him as a contributor.
http://www.espnmediazone3.com/us/2010/01/statement-regarding-paul-shirley/

Interesting blog - doctors helping in Haiti

Operational medicine blog-

http://blog.opmedinstitute.org/

Chefs for Humanity

We watch a lot of Food Network in our house, specifically Iron Chef America. Check out this link to Iron Chef Cat Cora's Chefs for Humanity organization.

http://www.chefsforhumanity.com/index.php

Wilco helping Haiti relief

While they aren't my thing (I'm more of a Cameo, Dazz Band fan) Wilco fans, listen up!

http://blog.limewire.com/posts/35000-support-haiti-download-free-wilco-shows/

Bake sale for Haiti

For those of you in the Los Angeles area-

http://nocookieleftbehind.wordpress.com/2010/01/18/cookies-without-borders-a-bake-sale-for-haiti/

While the rest of the kids were playing videogames...

...this cool kid raised a ton of money to help Haiti! Good job!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/25/charlie-simpson-7yearold-_n_435234.html

Here is the link to Charlie's donation site-

http://www.justgiving.com/CharlieSimpson-HAITI

UNDP - cash for work program in Haiti

http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2010/january/haiti-recovery-begins-with-populations-direct-involvement.en

Below is the text of the article from the link-

Haiti recovery begins with population's direct involvement

The cash-for-work programme launched Tuesday builds on UNDP’s Briquettes Project, a cash-for-work programme designed to combat climate change and reduce poverty.(Photo: UNDP)With the recovery process in earthquake-ravaged Haiti shifting gears from search and recovery to the immediate assistance needs of survivors, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is rolling out a cash-for-work programme that will employ nearly 400 Haitians, a move that will kick start economic activity while facilitating the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance.



By the end of the week, the programme will expand to include 700 people working on rubble removal and the rehabilitation of essential social infrastructure, such as street repairs and electricity.“Time is of the essence in getting early recovery after a major disaster,” said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark upon her return from Haiti. “We need donor support to help get people back to work without delay. This will accelerate early recovery and prepare for the longer term rebuilding when it takes place.”Clark was referring to a UNDP flash appeal that is calling for US$35.6 million to help Haitians recover from the earthquake, part of a nearly US$600 million UN Flash Appeal launched on 15 January.



As the co-ordinator of the UN early recovery team, UNDP is also working with the Government of Haiti and other partners to assess damages and needs, devise plans for rebuilding, and begin these immediate responses. “In addition to the cash-for-work initiatives, a big priority for UNDP is to support the rebuilding of the Government’s capacity,” Clark said. “But the overall task of rebuilding a devastated capital – with a population of this size – is huge. It is neither a short nor a medium term task.”The first phase of the cash-for-work programme will focus on Carrefour-Feuilles, a neighborhood just south of Port-au-Prince.



The initiative will soon be rolled out in other earthquake-stricken locations, including Leogane and Jacmel. Once fully operational, the project will employ 220,000 people, indirectly benefitting around 1 million Haitians.“Haitians should be the main actors in the recovery process,” said Eric Overvest, the UNDP Country Director in Haiti. “By providing employment, we will certainly help trigger a more normal life where people have an independent income and where they can start buying food and other essential goods.”Perhaps of equal importance, the cash-for-jobs initiative will provide “self-sufficiency and dignity for the people that are affected,” Overvest added.



Past UNDP cash-for-work programmes in Haiti have laid the groundwork for this current initiative. After the 2008 hurricanes that killed 800 people and left 165,000 families homeless in Haiti, UNDP worked closely with the Haitian Government on reconstruction efforts, particularly focusing cash-for-work initiatives and watershed rehabilitation. The cash-for-work programme launched Tuesday builds on UNDP’s Briquettes Project, a cash-for-work programme designed to combat climate change and reduce poverty. To speed up the rubble clearing process, UNDP, as a first step, used the resources and staff previously employed by the Briquettes Project. But UNDP is currently in the process of selecting the additional 700 people to be employed by the end of this week.

Books on Haiti for kids

On thinking about to talk to my kids about Haiti, I found this listing of some good books for kids. Please check out this link (teacher educator blog)

http://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2010/01/books-on-haiti.html

Etsy and Doctors Without Borders

Do you love Etsy? Here's a great way to buy or, if you're crafty, make handmade items while donating to Doctors Without Borders -

http://www.etsy.com/shop/heartsforhaiti

Shelterbox

Check this out-

http://www.shelterbox.ca/what-shelterbox.html

Hexayurts for Haiti

Check out the ultra cool Hexayurt -

http://www.dangerousminds.net/index.php/site/comments/hexayurts_for_haiti/

Hendrick Motorsports helping Haitian children

http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/01/22/hendrick-motorsports-helps-haitian-childrens-lives-take-flight/?icid=mainmaindl2link5http%3A%2F%2Fmotorsports.fanhouse.com%2F2010%2F01%2F22%2Fhendrick-motorsports-helps-haitian-childrens-lives-take-flight%2F

New Haiti donations/auctions/benefit concert links

Now that you've donated money, bought the songs from iTunes...

(thanks to retrokustomhonkytonk.com for the info!)

1. Bette Midler matching fan donations received at her show in Las Vegas -
http://www.vegasnews.com/index.php?s=bette+midler


2. Benefit for Haiti in Austin, TX on Sunday (Asleep at the Wheel, Shawn Colvin, Billy Joe Shaver and many more)
http://www.austin360.com/


3. Donate used cell phones - benefits The Red Cross
http://phoneforhaiti.com/


4. eBay auction of original comic book art benefitting Haiti charities
http://heroes4haiti.com/


5. Female comic and commercial artists auctioning original art for Haitian relief
(some on this link are NSFW)
http://artforhaiti.blogspot.com/


6. Collectible vinyl of popular indie rock bands, auctioned off to benefit Doctors Without Borders
(Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco, Against Me!, All American Rejects and more)
http://limitedpressing.com/auctions


7. Limited edition Corvette auction benefitting The American Red Cross Relief Fund
http://www.auto123.com/en/news/car-news/limited-edition-corvette-auction-to-benefit-haitian-earthquake-relief?model=Corvette&carid=1101201700&artid=115205


8. Clothes Off Our Backs Golden Globe clothing auction
http://www.clothesoffourback.org/categories.php?cPath=1_229

Amy Fisher (you know, the Long Island Lolita) keepin' it classy, as usual.

I guess we should applaud her for her efforts to help Haiti?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/21/amy-fisher-strips-for-hai_n_431700.html

Rihanna and Maxwell on iTunes for Haiti relief

From the OPRAH website-

On January 12, 2010, a massive earthquake devastated the island nation of Haiti. Find out how you can help with earthquake relief.

Rihanna's performance of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" is available for charitable purchase through iTunes for a limited time. Proceeds will benefit Hope for Haiti Now.

Download Rihanna's song on iTunes

Maxwell's single "Fistful of Tears" is available for charitable purchase through iTunes for a limited time. Proceeds will benefit Hope for Haiti Now. Download Maxwell's song on iTunes

Tune in Friday, January 22, to watch George Clooney and MTV Networks' Hope for Haiti Now telethon. The commercial-free broadcast will begin at 8/7c and air on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, BET, the CW, HBO, MTV, VH1 and CMT. It will also air internationally. George Clooney will be hosting live from Los Angeles; Wyclef Jean will host from New York; and CNN's Anderson Cooper will broadcast from Haiti.

American Red CrossOprah's Angel Network is donating $1 million to the American Red Cross for Haitian Relief. If you'd like to help, text "Haiti" to 90999 to donate $10 or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

Podcast about Haitian adoptions

Dawn Davenport had a good podcast this week specifically about Haitian adoptions. Check it out on her site-



http://www.creatingafamily.org/

ESPN host "slips up"

Uh, this is a slip up?

Again, people have lost their minds.


http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2010/01/18/mike-greenberg-apologizes-for-slip-up/?icid=mainsearch3dl4link5http%3A%2F%2Fbackporch.fanhouse.com%2F2010%2F01%2F18%2Fmike-greenberg-apologizes-for-slip-up%2F

Huh? You've got to be kidding me.

A new low...are you kidding me? Have people lost their minds???!!!!

http://www.parentdish.com/2010/01/13/school-district-apologizes-for-mlk-lunch-menu/

Cruising in Hell

Oh, man. How's Julie the Cruise Director going to explain this?

Maybe they should take the cruisers on a day excursion to help feed or bandage people?

At least Royal Carribean is donating some big bucks to help Haiti.

http://www.sphere.com/world/article/royal-caribbean-cruise-ships-dock-in-post-earthquake-haiti/19321187?icid=mainsearch3dl4link4http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sphere.com%2Fworld%2Farticle%2Froyal-caribbean-cruise-ships-dock-in-post-earthquake-haiti%2F19321187

Alonzo Mourning

Have you seen Alonzo Mourning (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alonzo_Mourning) on tv this past week? He is such a cool guy...using his celebrity for good. He has been in Haiti all this past week, jumping in to help anyway he could. Check out his charity's site.


http://amcharities.org/

On the ground in Haiti - doctor's blogpost

http://www.jackandjillpolitics.com/tag/haitidrdispatch/

Link to Jack & Jill politics (great site, check it out)

Blogposts by Anil Menon, MD is a clinical instructor at Stanford School of Medicine focused on surgery and emergency medicine. He’s part of a team sent to Haiti by Stanford.

Blogs of ministries/orphanages/families in Haiti

Blogs of Families /ministries/orphanages in Haiti. Unbelievable accounts of the suffering and destruction in Haiti. These people need donations.

http://www.livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/

http://heartlineministries.org/default.aspx

http://www.worldwidevillage.org/

http://buxmanhaiti.blogspot.com/

http://glahaiti.org/

https://realhopeforhaiti.org/

Links to CNN reporters on the ground in Haiti

Following these amazing people on the ground in Haiti. Twitter links to the CNN reporters (and doctor, in the case of Sanjay Gupta).

http://twitter.com/andersoncooper

http://twitter.com/sanjayguptaCNN

http://twitter.com/Soledad_OBrien

http://twitter.com/susancandiotti

Relief for Haiti

Links to donate money for Haiti-

The American Red Cross

Clinton Bush Haiti Fund

UNICEF

Operation USA

Save The Children

Stillerstrong

Partners In Health

Mercy Corps

general unrestricted fund DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS

Direct Relief

Oxfam

Donate to CARE

AmeriCares

Haitian Orphans

Long time no SWERL. Hope you guys are doing well. Please drop us a line and let us know how you are doing!

Please sign this petition to help Haitian orphans already in process.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/visasforadoptedhaitianchildren/

Also, please read this blog - a mom from So Cal who's adopting a son from Haiti. She is asking for people to write their Senators to help aid in the Haitian orphans in process to be granted "humanitarian parole" - to get them to the US and out of the earthquake
destruction.

http://www.thehowertons.blogspot.com/