Valley residents can help people in Haiti

MAT-SU — With the estimates of dead numbering in the hundreds of thousands and whole city blocks lying in ruin, foreign aid is flooding into Haiti after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocked the country.

The Mat-Su branch of the Salvation Army is encouraging monetary donations, but directing potential givers to its Anchorage or national offices. Maj. Dan Hughes said the Palmer office is not set up to handle donations in the numbers they are seeing. However, he said, donors can go to the Anchorage office, the website at www.slavationarmyusa.org or simply text the word “HAITI” to 52000 from their cell phones. A $10 donation will be added to their phone bill.

Jenni Ragland, the public relations director for the Salvation Army of Alaska, said money is absolutely the best way to help out. Donations of clothing and furniture are too costly to get to Haiti, she said.

“The need for everything is substantial. When we have cash donations, we are able to leverage those and get what’s needed,” Ragland said.

As for actual boots on the ground volunteers, Ragland said some Alaskans have come forward wanting to go to Haiti.

Ragland said the Salvation Army is taking the names of these people, and there might be some opportunity for them to help out in the future.

But, she said, they are making no promises and those with prior disaster response experience are the most likely to go.

The American Red Cross has set up donation systems as well. Donors can text “HAITI” to 90999 to give $10 to its efforts.

The Carrs/Safeway stores in both Wasilla and Palmer have donation stands at the end of each check stand with donations split between the Red Cross and UNICEF.