Approach your parents.
Organize an event at school
Or just raise money in the hallways.
Those are just a few suggestions on how youth can directly help Haitians devastated by Tuesday's killer earthquake from a Red Cross intern who is specializing in high school and middle school outreach in Prince George
"They can do similar things to what UNBC students are doing," said Heather Carson, who, in addition to her work with the Red Cross, is also a vice president of the International Studies Students Association. "There are also lots of opportunities for kids to be involved in international development in Prince George."
Carson, the Canadian Red Cross and the ISSA is being joined by groups across UNBC - the Model UN Club and the Political Science Students Association - is preparing a fundraising initiative to help the troubled country recover from a disaster that left 50,000 to 100,000 dead, and an estimated three million - one-third of Haiti's population - in need of basic humanitarian relief.
"These are the kinds of things that affect us and Canada being a multicultural nation there's lots of Haitians in Prince George and throughout Canada," said Carson. "It is important to help people when they're suffering."
Stephanie Leong of the Model UN Club, said the response to the effort has been instantaneous.
"Right now, we just started the group yesterday, and we're up to 72 members already," said Leong.
The group chose the Canadian Red Cross as the main target of its fundraising efforts.
"You can see them in Haiti on the ground," said Leong. "UNICEF is equally reliable."
Leong can be reached at leong@unbc.ca.
Carson said other aid agencies working in Haiti include Save The Children Canada and Doctors Without Borders.
Among the groups also working in Prince George to provide relief to Haiti is the Church of the Nazarene Canada. They can be reached through Pamela Laycock at 250-564-6213.
The Canadian Red Cross also accepts donations online and, on Friday, announced nine banks will receive cheques on the relief agency's behalf marked Haiti Earthquake.
They are: BMO Financial Group, Canadian Western Bank, CIBC, HSBC Bank Canada
Laurentian Bank of Canada, National Bank Financial Group, RBC, Scotiabank and TD Canada Trust.
rvenis@pgcitizen.ca
