Get Creative to Help Haiti

Color4ACause.org is a website started in response to the earthquake in Haiti. If you donate a minimum of $5, they’ll send you your very own drawing, done by talented child artists.

Kevin D. Hendricks wanted a way to respond to the tragedy in Haiti, so after getting his daughter to agree to draw some pictures, he asked designer Ben Jordan to create a website. Within two days, the site was up and running.

All of the donations to Color4ACause will go to Hendricks’ church, Messiah Episcopal Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. The church has a 20-year relationship with organizations in Haiti, including schools, homes for people in need, and missions projects. Because of these connections, the donations will be able to provide emergency relief, but also help with the crucial long-term reconstruction efforts.

Helping people in need is the main goal, but Hendricks also wants his kids to know that they can help others even though they are young. “For people considering donations, I hope a picture colored by a child will be that extra push to make them donate,” Hendricks writes on the website.

You can donate online through PayPal, or send your checks through the mail. Once you provide your address, your drawing will be sent to you. If you know a kid who is an expert with a crayon, they can submit their own drawings as well!

Here are some other ways people and companies are coming together to help victims in Haiti:

• Toms – By February, TOMS will have given 30,000 pairs of shoes to children in Haiti and more are on the way.
• Soles4Souls has committed over 1 million pairs of shoes to aid in the recovery and rebuilding process.
• Songs for Haiti – You can donate through Paste or to a charity of your choice, and receive access to their Download Vault and 250 songs (and counting).
• Hey Tee – Make a donation toward Haiti relief efforts and receive a T-shirt.
• Design*Sponge posted this how-to for creating Help Haiti buttons.
• Charitable group Craft Hope for Haiti has raised $20,000 for Doctors Without Borders. Readymade magazine lists even more crafty fund raising groups here.