(AP Photo/Jorge Cruz)
We’ve all seen the images of devastation in Haiti. Curious as to how your donations are being utilized, or how America’s carriers are helping? Below is a comprehensive list of what your wireless carrier is doing to assist in the time of crisis.
Verizon Wireless
- Offering free long-distance calling to or from Haiti from January 12th until 11:59 PM EST on January 31, 2010. Offer applies to Verizon Wireless and Verizon landline customers. (Press Release)
- Opening a Haiti Relief Connection Center at a Verizon Wireless retail store in Miami, Florida. It has been open since January 15th. (Press Release)
- Advanced $2,987,560 million to the American Red Cross based on dollars pledged by customers. The monetary amount represents donations from 12:01 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 13 through 2 p.m. EST on Friday, Jan. 15. (Press Release)
AT&T (Full Press Release)
- More than $10 million has been donated by customers.
- Donating $50,000 donation to a local charity.
- Coordinating the donation of 7,000 wireless phones to Voila, a Haitian wireless carrier and one of the only carriers with service in the country.
- Providing smartphones and service to Concern Worldwide, an international humanitarian organization, which is on the ground in Haiti helping with relief efforts.
- Adding to an earlier grant from AT&T by donating to two additional leading non-profit organizations.
- Expediting donations pledged by AT&T customers from their mobile device to the American Red Cross (customers type the word HAITI and send the message to 90999).
- Continuing a companywide employee giving program for several relief organizations.
Sprint (Full Press Release)
- Advancing 80 percent of pledged funds on January 22nd, with the remaining 20 percent being donated after the 60 to 90 day settlement cycle. $3.1 million has been donated since January 12th.
- Waiving charges for text messaging to and from Haiti until January 31st.
- The Sprint Foundation is matching American Red Cross earthquake-relief donations made by Sprint employees from January 13th through January 31st. Sprint and its employees’ total philanthropic contributions currently stand at $98,000.
T-Mobile (Full Press Release)
- Customers have donated more than $3 million since January 12th.
- Free calling to and from Haiti from January 12th until January 31st.
- Shipping heavy-duty trucks and cell sites to Haiti.
- Working to provide 10,000 unlocked cell phones and some solar-powered chargers.
- Working to advance donations on a weekly basis.
- T-Mobile and parent company Deutsche Telekom have committed nearly $200,000 to relief efforts to date.
If I’ve missed anything, please let me know through the comments (with a supporting link) and I will add it to the list.