The news out of the Philippines is sad and shocking. You can find a wide range of death tolls being reported from Typhoon Haiyan but even the lowest estimates are tragic and chilling.
In times like this, about all we can do is send money. I send money to Operation USA, my charity of choice. Years ago, I found myself inundated with requests to give from a wide range of such organizations. Some, I'm sure, did excellent work. Some, I had reason to suspect, did excellent work with what was left after paying hefty salaries to their Board of Directors and renting lavish offices. So I did a little digging and decided that Operation USA — run in part by people I knew — would give me the most bang for my buck. When people anywhere — in this country, in another — are injured, homeless and/or hungry, Operation USA is there in a hurry…and a pretty tiny fraction of what you give does not go to food, shelter, first aid and the manpower necessary to get it there and put to good use. Their website will tell you more about the organization and there are links via which you can donate.
