Help Haiti Victims in Five Minutes or Less

Tuesday's 7.0 earthquake in Haiti has left millions of survivors without food, water or shelter. Although President Obama has pledged to send help, a catastrophe of this size needs all the help we can give. We can't even imagine the devastation these victims are going through right now. They have lost their homes, their family members and their basic needs are not being fulfilled. Can you spend five minutes to make a difference?

"People are without water; children are without food and without shelter," said Ian Rodgers, Senior emergency adviser for Save the Children. "What we will see with the lack of water is the possibility of diarrheal diseases and, of course, that can kill children in a matter of hours if not tended to appropriately."

There are many things you can do to help in less than five minutes using your cell phone and a computer.

Text Your Donation. The American Red Cross has pledged to send one million dollars to support Haiti relief efforts. Text "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief. Charges will go to your wireless phone bill. Or you can call 1-800-RED-CROSS to make your donation over the phone.

Purchase Relief Items. At https://store.causecast.org/huffingtonpost, you can purchase relief items such as a first aid kit, protein biscuits, water purification tablets and medical supplies. For only 10 dollars you can send two life-saving Emergency Hygeine Kits to Haiti, which can protect disaster victims from illness. For 20 dollars you can provide an individual with 20 years worth of drinking water in a place where one in eight people don't have safe drinking water!

Sign the petition. Tell President Obama to grant "temporary cessation of deportation" allowing Haitians to work legally and earn money to help their families and communities in the aftermath of this devastating tragedy. Sending more Haitians back to Haiti right now further taxes the Haitian government which needs to focus on relief efforts. You can find it at http://www.petitiononline.com/TPS2009/petition.html.

"These deportations tear apart families, hurting U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents," according to the petition. Take the case of Vialine Jean Paul, who married a U.S. citizen. The couples 7-year-old, daughter, born in the U.S., is being treated for a chronic viral infection. "Immigration and Customs Enforcement told Ms. Jean Paul to buy plane tickets for herself and her daughter to go to Haiti on February 9. Her dilemma: Should she put her daughter at risk of malaria, hepatitis, cholera, malnutrition and uncertain medical care in Haiti or leave her sick daughter behind?" says the petition.

Whatever you do, do something. "It is very possible," Rodgers said, "that the situation can go from dire to absolutely catastrophic if we don't get enough food, medicine and work with children and their families to help them."