21 Jan, 2010
Compassionate Texting
A Deluge of Donations via Text Messages
A push by celebrities, athletes and the first lady encouraging text-message donations for earthquake relief in Haiti has contributed to a fund-raising bonanza for the American Red Cross, which a little over a year ago turned to Congress for a bailout.
As of late Sunday, the organization had collected pledges of $103 million, about $22 million of which came through the text-messaging program. The National Football League’s promotion of text-message donations during its weekend playoff games produced stunning results, with money “coming in at the rate of $500,000 an hour,” said Roger Lowe, a Red Cross spokesman.
“I need a better word than ‘unprecedented’ or ‘amazing’ to describe what’s happened with the text-message program,” Mr. Lowe said.
The Red Cross is the biggest relief organization with a system in place to receive such donations, which are sent by cellphone to 90999 and billed at $10 each to the cellphone account. The total raised, a small portion of which will be shared with other members of the Red Cross federation, puts the organization well ahead of other relief groups in fund-raising for operations in Haiti.
Story & photo courtesy of — The New York Times.
Galatians 6:9-10 (NIV)
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."
One of the most intriguing aspects of modern technology is that it connects people across great distances. Today's story is a perfect example of exactly this phenomenon; cell phone text messages sent from all over the United States are being harnessed as a force for good in Haiti by the Red Cross. By encouraging people to engage in "compassionate texting", the Red Cross is not only connecting people's generosity in the U.S. with people's needs in Haiti, but is making that connection in a quick and easy way.
While this way of donating might encourage people to mindlessly support the relief efforts in Haiti without fully understanding the extent of the need and suffering there, it's hard to argue with creating more opportunities to do good. In fact in today's God Story scripture Paul reminds us to not grow weary in doing good, and to do so whenever we have the opportunity.
The question is, are we living our lives in such a way that we are consistently creating space to do good, using whatever we can in every aspect of our lives to do so? Stay on the look out. There are opportunities everyday for the Kingdom of God to come "to earth as it is in heaven", it's up to us to recognize the need and respond.
- Does the technology that you use on a daily basis create more opportunities for you to do good?
- How have you created space in your life to do good for the thousands of Haitians in need?
- Talk with your friends about what's happening in Haiti.
- Create some space in your life to do good with a friend or for a friend.
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