How do you respond to a crisis? Vegans fundraise!(Part One.)

As every reader undoubtedly knows, a few weeks ago the country of Haiti suffered severe damage in an earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale. Just over a week later, it endured an aftershock of 6.1. This was a severe blow for a country already enduring hardships barely imaginable to most of us, and its ramifications will be far reaching and long lasting. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, pretty much the whole world has jumped to action.

Being a person who had my own city partially destroyed in a semi-natural very-disaster not so many years ago, I have to say that sitting here watching this happen is really, really anxiety provoking. I have absolutely zero connection to Haiti, other than the facts that it's also populated by humans and cool animals and is on the planet earth. Nevertheless, the mere thought of the magnitude of human suffering that is happening there right now makes me start to freak out and cry a little bit. The only consolation I have for it is in focusing on what I can do, and that is to get involved in (and tell you about) all of the fabulous fundraising that is happening in the vegan community.

I am, frankly, just amazed at the outpouring of charity that has come from vegan contingents all over the world, beginning just a few days after the first quake. What are we doing?

Well for starters, many Etsy sellers have started to donate a portion of their sales to various relief organizations currently working in Haiti. I, for one, will be donating 50% of the sale price of any item in my my shop bright. until further notice. I'll be rotating monthly among a few worthwhile orgs including Doctors Without Borders, Partners in Health, and the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

Vegan Etsy Team member Panda With Cookie will be donating 100% of all profits from her clearance section to Doctors Without Borders, via a NYC bakesale that I'll be telling you about tomorrow. Vegancraftastic is donating 100% of sales of her knitting patterns to Doctors Without Borders through Ravelry knit and crochet community. And Sweet V Confections - yeah, that's right, think dessert - is donating 100% of chocolate fudge sales and 25% of all other sales to Doctors without borders! Mmmm, delicious compassion...

In addition, Vegancraftastic, Cards and Jewelry by Michele, and many (many many) other stellar Etsians have donated items to Hearts for Haiti, an Etsy shop which also donates 100% of all proceeds to Doctors Without Borders. At the time that I'm writing this, thanks to all the artisans who have donated items to sell, Hearts for Haiti has generated close to twenty thousand dollars!

As if that weren't enough, Michele and other VET members are also involved with another animal-friendly Etsy group, Etsy for Animals, which is having a Haiti Animal Relief Fundraiser. Various percentages of the sale price of Etsy items tagged with this moniker are donated to the World Society for the Protection of Animals,

So there you go. Want to help Haiti, but not sure what to do? Just do some shopping with the Vegan Etsy Team and you'll be on your way!