The developing world does not need your old shoes

Posted February 8, 2010 at 04:21 EST under daily.

And some kind of help is the kind of help/ That helping's all about/ And some kind of help is the kind of help/ We all can do without

Whenever decent people hear about disasters, like the one that is happening in Haïti right now, they want to help.

Sometimes this drive to help leads us in directions that are not actually all that helpful. For example, if we don't have a lot of money, we might look around and decide that our old shoes or skanky yoga mat or random medication is just the thing for those suffering through a natural or man-made disaster.

It isn't. If you want to help in Haïti, donate your money or go down to the local Red Cross and ask how you can help. And then consider doing what they suggest you do to help.

Just because you mean well does not necessarily mean that you will do well.