Disaster Relief and Donations

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) urges people who want to help disaster victims to make donations through the voluntary organizations that are active in the ongoing disaster response and recovery operations. There is now an easy way to provide financial support, donate your time and skills, or donate needed goods/supplies through a national donations management network hosted by Aid Matrix Network.

Donations

Cash donations are the most beneficial type of donations for disaster victims and the agencies that are assisting them. Cash doesn’t require any special storage like donated goods, and provides greater flexibility in meeting the needs of the disaster victims.

You can also make donations for disaster relief operations in Oregon, nationally, or internationally, by contacting the American Red Cross:

Volunteers

Volunteers are requested not to “self–dispatch” to the affected areas and should operate under the direction of voluntary agencies that have been assigned roles within the disaster response and recovery operations.

If you are going to be involved in response and recovery operations, be sure you are properly dressed and equipped for the work you will be doing.

United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team

United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) would like to warn users of potential email scams and search engine poisoning campaigns that may circulate regarding the Haitian Earthquake disaster. The scam emails may contain links or attachments which may direct users to phishing or malware-laden websites. Fraudulent search engine results may return similar malicious web links to phishing and malware websites.

US-CERT encourages users to take the following measures to protect themselves:

Do not follow unsolicited web links or attachments in email messages.
Maintain up-to-date antivirus software.
Review the Federal Trade Commission's Charity Checklist http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/telemarketing/tel01.shtm
Verify the legitimacy of the email by contacting the organization directly through a trusted contact number. Trusted contact information can be found on the Better Business Bureau National Charity Report Index http://www.bbb.org/charity-reviews/national/
Refer to the Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams http://www.us-cert.gov/reading_room/emailscams_0905.pdf document for more information on avoiding email scams.
Refer to the Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/ST04-014.html document for more information on social engineering attacks.