Dreamer ENT

Photo Credit: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

The world witnessed as on Tuesday evening a 7.0 earthquake devastated the capital city of the Caribbean country Haiti. The aftermath and aftershocks of the earthquake left children without food and comfort, many in need of aid, and families without homes in a country that was already crippled by poverty. In such a huge situation, there are ways you can help and make a difference.

How You Can Help?

If you’re able to donate financially or can ask your parents to do so, you can text “HAITI” to the number 90999 on a cell phone. A $10 donation will be charged to the cell phone bill that will go to the Red Cross. It’s quick and easy, and every bit helps. You can also visit www.redcross.org or http://www.unicefusa.org/ to find out how to donate online.

In the coming days and weeks Haiti will be needing much help, and you could start a fundraiser or collection drive to collect things like clothes and other items that may be needed. DoSomething.org suggests that “the most important step when donating materials is to contact an established, professional relief organization BEFORE you collect anything.” Be sure to listen to the news and visit the websites above to see what the people may need the most. Over all, keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers, and remember that helping others, even if they are miles away, is important, and something you can do even when you’re young.

Variety Magazine honored five young performers, Corbin Bleu, Keke Palmer, Jesse McCartney, AnnaLynne McCord and Miranda Cosgrove, for their dedication to community service at a special ceremony on December 5th, 2009. Variety’s Power of Youth Initiative is focused on encouraging top young talent to become involved with philanthropic and humanitarian causes, using their positions in popular culture to motivate others to do the same. Check out the organizations each of the honorees gives their time to below, and learn more at www.variety.com/PowerOfYouth. You can also take action in your community, and maybe with similar causes, with a grant from the organization Do Something. Click here to learn how you can get involved.

Actress and singer Keke Palmer spoke on how it felt to be honored, and the importance of service in her blog:

“…I attended an all day event honoring young entertainers in Hollywood, not for how many records they sold, or how many movies they have done, but for their charity work, and to be a part of that group was so very humbling for me.

“I could not even speak I was so nervous, I guess I could not believe that anyone would give me an award for helping people something that my parents taught me to do, with much given comes much responsibility, I hear that around our house a lot…

“Yes Charity begins at home, but if you can find some time, just a little time to think of others you will feel like a complete person, and what better time can we help others than at CHRISTMAS!!!!”

- Keke Palmer in her Myspace blog

Check out the honoree’s acceptance speeches in the videos below:

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Several young celebrities are teaming up with the organization ONE in the fight against global poverty. They’re asking college students to take a stand by taking part in the movement, and becoming local activists. Some of the stars who have joined the ONE campaign are High School Musical’s Corbin Bleu, Twilight’s Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed and Jackson Rathbone, 90210’s Tristan Wilds, Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester, Jessica Szohr and Ed Westwick, Heroes’ Hayden Panettiere, Star Trek’s John Cho and Tropic Thunder’s Brandon T. Jackson.

Corbin Bleu commented on his Facebook page about the importance of the campaign:

“Some people might say young people don’t care about the world beyond our classroom, our family, our friends – but I don’t believe that’s true.

“In an increasingly global world, we have to look beyond ourselves. By raising our voices together, we can and will make a difference in the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease. Join us as ONE.” – Corbin Bleu

ONE was co-founded by singer and activist Bono and other campaigners, and is backed by more than 2 million people who are committed to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Watch the PSA for the campaign below, and find out how you can help support the campaign and receive updates at www.one.org/us/buzz.