Haiti Projects was already on the ground in Haiti when the earthquake struck. Volunteers with the organization are working to alleviate suffering from the recent earthquake. Having been involved with an organization that worked locally in post-Katrina New Orleans, I believe that this is a good way to help people without the immense overhead of a large organization.

Haiti Projects, Inc. is a nonprofit operating in Fond des Blancs, a mountainous region where there is a high birth rate, high illiteracy rate, rampant deforestation and soil erosion. Widespread poverty and malnutrition, coupled with virtually no employment opportunities or industry, make this region one of the most destitute anywhere in the world. Haiti Projects is working to empower the locals through healthcare, education, vocational training and micro-lending—creating opportunity for families where none existed before.

The partnership between Sarah Hackett, the founder of Haiti Projects, and the women of Fond des Blancs enables both to find greater joy, purpose and meaning in life. It seems to me that they have empowered one another—Sarah demonstrating how one person can affect great change, and the women of Fond des Blancs proving that they are among the most brave, creative and resilient anywhere in the world.
~ Isabel Allende

This article conveys what it was like in Haiti at the time of the earthquake. Sarah Hackett, 83 year old nurse, founder of Haiti Project, tells of devastation in Haiti in this Boston Globe story.