—Arcade Fire Haiti

If you’re like me you’ve been spending the last few days with a specter lurking in the back of your mind- feeling sad about the current situation in Haiti, and confused about how to help. Many folks from the music community have stepped forward to offer some ideas, a few of which I’ve included here below:

Arcade Fire’s Regine Chassagne wrote a moving article published in British newspaper The Observer last Sunday asking the Western world to make better efforts to assist her ancestral country, and expressing despair at Haiti’s continued exploitation-some of which she recounts. The article gives a brief but solid picture of the situation, relating on a very human level. She recommends Partners in Health, an organization she interacted with at length during her trip to Haiti last year. Partners in Health focuses on offering quality, sustainable health care alongside other resources like education and sanitation and though started by a Floridian is comprised mostly of Haitians.

Wyclef Jean is offering an option to donate through text or online to his non-profit Yele Haiti, which uses music and media to reinforce community development projects and education for Haitians. According to Yele’s website, donations go completely to relief. He is also joining George Clooney to host a Hope for Haiti telethon, airing on major networks January 22nd, which features Bono, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera and others.

Lastly Loudcrowd favorite Lady Gaga announced that she’ll be donating ticket sales and merchandise proceeds from her January 24th Radio City show in New York to Haitian relief. She also has added this $25 Lady Gaga Haitian Relief t-shirt to her line of swag, whose proceeds are also 100% to Haiti.

-Fucci