All Entries Tagged With: "Haiti earthquake"
Supernatural’s Misha Collins: Kindness is Infectious
Misha Collins isn’t an angel, but he plays one on TV. For the last two seasons, he’s played Castiel, an angel sent down to Earth to help the Winchester brothers in their fight to stop the apocalypse on the CW series Supernatural. When he steps out from in front of the cameras Misha becomes a different kind of angel – the kind that gives his time, money and creativity to help those in need.
Now, we know that lots of celebs give to charity, but what’s particularly interesting about Misha’s quest is the way he has rallied his “minions,” aka, the fans of Supernatural. What started out as a joke on Twitter has grown into a true non-profit organization that has already built orphanages in Haiti and blessed many more people with random acts of kindness. Even Misha admits, he never saw it coming.
“I knew that there were a lot of intelligent, creative people with a lot of resources following me on Twitter just based on the responses that I got and websites that they would set up, the projects they would undertake. I mean, there was a lot of kind of enthusiasm and creative energy and so I knew I wanted to kind of play with that in some way and I had no idea how it was going to play out. I’m actually shocked that Random Acts has taken on such a coherent level of organization and structure, and it’s so official. We’re actually a proper 501, fee-free, non-profit, tax exempt organization and all that. It actually is quite an inspiration to me and far more than I expected to have happen in such a short period of time.”
They say that something good always comes out of something bad, and that was the case with the earthquake in Haiti. After it happened, Misha reached out to his fans on Twitter and asked them to donate to the cause. They raised $30,000 dollars which they used to help house and care for some of the more than 380,000 orphans in Haiti.
“I spent some time in Haiti and I know that it’s a place that is really, really, bad off. I have been in a lot of countries around the world, and from an economic standpoint, I’ve never seen the destitution that I’ve seen in Haiti anywhere else. And we also happen to have contacts with people who run these three orphanages there so it seemed like a good fit to keep on supporting them.”
But disasters continue to happen around the world, and so Misha and his crew have moved on to raising money to aide Pakistan.
Going The Distance
“I’m running to raise money. Its kind of old fashioned, collecting pledges. I’ve always liked the whole [idea]. I don’t like the dynamic aspect of not knowing quite how far I’m going to make it. It sort of puts a little more pressure on me to keep on hauling ass out there, so yeah I’m going to be doing a run on Sunday [September] fifth and I’m going to go as far as I can. I’m capping it at a measly 100 km so, I mean, I may keep running after that, knowing me I’ll probably do you know 200-250 km something like that but … umm that’s a lie. I’ve never run anywhere near [this distance]. I’ve run marathons and that’s it, so we’ll see how far I make it.”
We have no doubt that Misha will make it to the end of the race because he’s a guy who can’t stand to let a challenge lie there unaccepted. He made it to The White House as an intern and now he’s co-starring on a hit TV series. You wouldn’t know it to look at him but, as a child, Misha Collins was homeless.
“I have an amazing mother, but when I was growing up she didn’t always have a tremendous amount of material resources at her disposal. We were on welfare and very poor for some time and we were homeless for a while. When I was eleven, we were taken in by [friends who let us live on their] farm for several months. They were unbelievably generous with us. They gave us essentially room and board for months because they knew we didn’t have a place to go, and they enabled us to feel like we weren’t a burden there, by allowing me to work on the farm and to earn my keep. Of course at eleven, I was completely useless and probably more in the way than anything, but it was just like an extension of their kind act to allow me to think that I wasn’t a burden there, and so I would go out in the field and transplant leeks and rake hay into rows and things like that. It’s something that has stuck with me and there are other incidences in my childhood that have stuck with me, you know, a woman that gave my mother $100 when I was six so that she could buy me and my brother Christmas presents that year. I didn’t even know who she was, it was just this really generous act that made a huge difference in these small children’s’ lives and to my mother as well.”
“Thirty years later I still remember that, and it still impacts on how I behave, not always . . . (laughs), but when it comes to my mind it affects how I behave and I think that that is kind of what I am getting at. It can be infectious and exponential. I mean, I probably wouldn’t be trying to do this random acts project if somebody hadn’t demonstrated that kind of kindness to me when I was young and likewise people who receive, who are the recipients of the random acts that we do now, will probably carry on that tradition later.”
The Random Acts program is something that’s just getting rolling for Misha and his minions, so it isn’t as well organized as some of their earlier efforts.
We’re All In This Together
“Anybody who wants to be involved can be involved in the process of identifying recipients of random acts of kindness from our organization, so it’s very much a collective process. People wrote in suggestions and then we collectively made a decision on which ones to enact, and you know what we’ve done so far was very hasty and very poorly funded, it was just from money that I took out of my pocket. But moving forward I think that we will have a little bit more time and a little bit more resources at our disposal and it’ll be interesting to see how it evolves.”
In wrapping up my call with Misha Collins, I mentioned that we have a section on GlobalShift called ‘One Person, Big Difference.’ What do you think of that philosophy, I asked.
“Oh I don’t think one person can do anything, really. . . no, I’m just kidding, wouldn’t that be an awful answer? Yes! I can actually say that’s a big part of why I wanted to do random acts in particular, because I happen to very strongly agree with that idea that one person can make a big difference. I think that kindness and generosity are infectious qualities, that when you carry them out, you often inspire others to do the same, and that one small act can actually have an exponential effect. And this isn’t something that’s just the purview of statesmen and religious leaders. I think that it really can happen in very small and everyday ways, and still have a big impact.”
If you would like to pledge money for Misha’s run or get involved in his Random Acts program, visit the website at http://www.therandomact.org and tell them GlobalShift sent you.
Photo: Misha Collins as Castiel in SUPERNATURAL on The CW. Photo: Jack Rowand/The CW ©2009 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
50 Canadian Artists Sing a Song of Hope
K’naan’s song, “Waving Flag,” has gotten a lot of exposure recently being chosen as the official song of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Taking advantage of the success of the song, famed music producer, Bob Ezrin, in mid-February decided to create Young Artists for Haiti, a project in which he mobilizes various Canadian artists to re-record the Somali-Canadian rapper’s song in order to raise money for Haiti.
The idea for this project came to Mr. Ezrin while he was in Vancouver for the Winter Olympics inspired by the coming together of so many people. “Waving Flag” was eventually recorded at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver. Of the project and the song, Mr. Ezrin said, “With the wealth of young artists coming out of Canada, it was obvious that this is something we had to do… K’naan’s lyrics in Wavin’ Flag embody the pain, passion and determination of the Haitian people and lend the hope of a brighter future. The response from the artists has been sensational, and I am so proud that together we may help to make a difference.”
Earlier this month, the recording of “Waving Flag” was released along with a video that can be seen on youtube. Artists in this project include, K’naan, Drake, the Arkells, Justin Bieber, Nikki Yanofsky, Avril Lavigne and more.
You can purchase the song and t-shirts at the official website of Young Artists for Haiti. All proceeds from the project goes to Free the Children, War Child Canada, and World Vision Canada.
Norah Jones, Vampire Weekend Auction Crafts for a Cause
Binki Shapiro, of the band Little Joy, recently organized the online auction, Crafts for a Cause, to raise money for Haiti. The auction includes various items such as guitars, t-shirts, bags, and more, all personally decorated by an all star cast of artists. All proceeds of this auction will go to Artists for Peace and Justice.
Contributors to this project are (get ready for this): Vampire Weekend, Natalie Portman, Regina Spektor, Adam Green, The Strokes, Bright Eyes, Fleet Foxes, Rodarte, No Doubt, Jenny Lewis, Norah Jones, The Mars Volta, Le Tigre, Sia, Spike Jonze, Devendra Banhart, Aziz Ansari, Shirley Manson of Garbage, Mark Ronson, Daft Punk, Kings of Leon, Grizzly Bear, Tegan & Sara, Kate Nash, Kevin Long, Feist, Liv Tyler, Frankie Rayder, Maroon 5, No Age, Drew Barrymore, M. Ward, The Black Keys, Scott Sternberg of Band of Outsiders, Cat Power, Travis, Little Joy, Neil Gaiman, David Black, Lauren Dukoff, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and more!
This is basically the arts and crafts version of “We Are the World 25 for Haiti” with, arguably, better and more respectable artists. Go place a bid for a personalized item here!
Here are some items up for bids:
Decorated by Regina Spektor
Signed by Natalie Portman
Daft Punk
An update on the Haiti Foundation Against Poverty
It’s been almost a month since the earthquake disaster in Haiti, but medical and rebuilding efforts are far from over. Shortly after the earthquake, I wrote about the Haiti Foundation Against Poverty and my hometown’s connection to Haiti. There is much to be done still, but things have come a long way since the panic and fear of the first few days in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Mallery and the Haiti Foundation Against Poverty have received many supplies from people in the states helping them. Many of the kids from the school and orphanage were found to be safe, and now have food, water and temporary shelter in tents. They also brought a medical team to Haiti and have been treating hundreds of patients daily.
The Facebook updates from Mallery are much more positive and hopeful now, and a photographer from my hometown’s newspaper even went down to Haiti with one of the teams to document the efforts of HFAP and the medical team. His stories and photos have shown the resilience of the Haitian people and the true power of people to bring relief to a struggling country.
Aftershocks ravaged the already damaged Haiti, making rescue efforts even more difficult and frightening the HFAP team. Some success stories have come from Mallery and her team, such as a child they thought was dead that was found alive. The girl, Kelencia, was scheduled to go back to the United States for surgery for a hole in her heart, but getting her back has now been almost impossible because of the many critically injured people that need to leave the country. Though getting her to the State for her surgery is now more difficult, she is alive and doing well. The medical team has treated hundreds of people, doing surgeries, fixing broken bones and healing all other kinds of injuries. They have also fed hundreds of families with the supplies received from people in the United States.
Unfortunately, the conditions are still poor. Bodies are still littered in the streets and thousands of people are still missing. Even more people are injured and without food or water. CNN’s Anderson Cooper has been very involved with the Haiti crisis, and just returned to Haiti within the last day. Some of his reports have been disturbing, including bodies being dumped and left unidentified, as well as this video about the involvement (or lack thereof) of the Haitian government.
Updates from Mallery talking about the plentiful amounts of rice, corn and oil that were bagged for Haitian families, the babies that HFAP is helping and the successes of the medical team bring hope to the hundreds of people following her story and the efforts of the team. The tragedy in Haiti was devastating, but the actions of people like Mallery who have sprung to the aid of the country have been inspiring. There is still much work to be done, and Mallery and the team are hoping to raise enough money for a portable medical unit. They are also trying to obtain refugee status for several children from the orphanage, as well as temporary visas for the children that already have passports.
AWARENESS + ACTION:
You can learn more, donate, and find links to some of the stories from the photographer at the HFAP website.
Demand for Haitian Debt to be Dropped
Help out Haiti by going to The Petition Site to demand global creditors to cancel Haiti’s $1 billion international debt.
The 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Port-au-Prince which has caused an estimated 200,000 deaths and many more homeless is enough proof that Haiti needs this. This is without mentioning the deprivation that existed even before devastating earthquake.
The United States has already taken action by dropping Haiti’s past debts and now only is bringing money to the country for assistance through grants. There are still many who have yet to follow suit – the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and various other countries such as Taiwan and Venezuela.
Please, do your part to help.
Photo: here.
Hope For Haiti Album Now Available on iTunes
Last Friday, some of the biggest stars in the music industry gathered together to lend their support and their songs to help raise money for the victims of the of the quake in Haiti.
Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief was one of the biggest events in broadcast history with live performances from Bruce Springsteen, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, Sting, Alicia Keys, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, Bono, Rihanna, and more.
Now, iTunes is offering a 20-song live performance album download for only 7.99 with 100% of the proceeds going charities including Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, Oxfam America, Partners In Health, Red Cross, UNICEF, United Nations World Food Programme, and Yéle Haiti Foundation.
As a special bonus, the album includes the studio collaboration, “Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour) – Version 1.0,” featuring Jay-Z, Bono, The Edge, and Rihanna. 100% of proceeds from the sale of that individual studio track will benefit Partners In Health.
For less than $10.00, you get an unprecedented album with an incredible mix of performers and the satisfaction of knowing your money is going to help someone in need. Skip the lattes this week and use the money to purchase Hope for Haiti Now through iTunes. You’ll be glad you did.
Visit the Hope for Haiti Now page for more information.
Hope for Haiti Telethon Airs Tonight
It’s only been done once or twice before, but they’re doing it again. All of the major networks and many, many cable stations are donating their air time, tonight, Friday, January 22 to charity. This time it’s for the Hope for Haiti Telethon.
George Clooney is the man behind the plan and special guests include Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Madonna, U2’s Bono and The Edge, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Keith Urban, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Coldplay and Bruce Springsteen.
The telethon will begin at 8:00 and run for two hours, commercial-free on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, The CW and cable channels BET, Bravo, Centric, Comedy Central, CMT, CNN, CNN en Espanol, Current TV, Discovery Health, E! Entertainment, EPIX, FOX, Fuse, G4, GMC, HBO, HBO Latino, MLB Network, MTV, National Geographic Channel, Oxygen, PBS, Planet Green, TNT, Showtime, SOAPnet, Style Network, and VH1.
There are only a few major cable networks that won’t be airing the telethon tonight. AMC, A&E, ABC Family and Hallmark are just a few of the channels that will be sticking with their normal schedule.
Syfy channel is going with the premiere of their new series Caprica which could be a huge win for them, seeing as it will be about the only new, scripted show on the air tonight.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Syfy is one of the few major networks that won’t be carrying the telethon tonight. Wise move on their part or does it make them look like a cold-hearted company that doesn’t care?
Arcade Fire Calls for Donations for Haitian Earthquake Relief
Régine Chassagne and her husband, Win Butler, both members of the massive Canadian rock band, Arcade Fire, have recently posted a call for donations to Partners in Health on their band’s website.
Arcade Fire has deep connections with Haiti as Chassange has a family background from there in which she sings about in the song, “Haiti” from the band’s debut album, Funeral.
The 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck the Haitian city of Port-au-Prince has been estimated to have killed 45,000 to 50,000 people and injured and left homeless 3 million people.
Here’s the post Chassange and Bulter wrote on their band website:
Haiti Tragedy Strikes Close To Home for This Reporter
Never has a disaster struck as close to home for me as the earthquake in Haiti. You never think about it really, when you hear about hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, natural disasters somewhere far away that doesn’t have much to do with you. You pray, you feel bad for them, and you move on with your life. Not with Haiti.
I’m at Michigan State right now, but just a couple hours away, my family’s church is praying and weeping. There’s a couple there who are adopting two children from an orphanage in Haiti. They just found out that they’re safe and are working to get them to the United States sooner for emergency reasons. They’ve been waiting two years to get these children. There’s a woman who used to preach in Haiti, who speaks English and Creole and says she doesn’t know which language to pray in. There’s dozens of people who have gone to Haiti on mission trips, and now sit helpless in Michigan while they wait to hear if the people they met there are alive.
And then there’s Mallery. Just a few years older than me, she took her first mission trip to Haiti years ago when she was 16. She fell in love with the country, and now, six years later, she is the founder of the Haitian Foundation Against Poverty (HFAP), a non-profit organization that has built an orphanage and a school and supported many orphaned and poor children in Haiti. She was planning to move to Haiti in March, but now, the school and orphanage are flattened, children are dead, and everything the foundation has worked to build is gone. She provided her friends with information about the disaster via her Facebook statuses, and as each new status was posted, the news grew more and more dire.
