Mexico Earthquake Relief & Support

A 7.2 earthquake struck northern Mexico on April 4 near Mexicali, causing buildings to collapse, killing two, and injuring hundreds. A spokesman for the state of Baja California estimated damage totaling "millions of dollars", but stressed that it was too early for precise estimates. Mexican President Felipe Calderon visited Colonia de la Puerta, one of the hardest hit villages, where hundreds of residents left homeless appealed to relief workers for blankets, food, and water. Widespread flooding from ruptured irrigation canals could devastate farming in Mexicali, an important agricultural center in Baja California. One of the buildings severely damaged was Mexicali's general hospital, leading people to seek medical treatment in makeshift tents. The magnitude of the earthquake was roughly the equivalent to the one that struck Haiti in January, but damage and loss of life was minimal due to lower population density and stricter building codes. More than 500 aftershocks had rocked the area since Sunday's earthquake.

Source: Los Angeles Times

What can you do to help the victims in Mexico?

UniversalGiving has many donation and volunteer opportunities which allow you to help the people of Mexico. We thoroughly vet all of the NGOs featured on our site, assuring they all meet the highest standards of quality, transparency, and trust. 100% of donations made through UniversalGiving go directly to these NGOs.

Here are some ways to help survivors in Mexico:

Top Projects: Ongoing Mexico Development:

Worldwide Impact Now: Home Building in Mexico
Develop youth leaders of character through selfless service projects building homes for needy families in Mexico along the US border. This initiative is designed to help American youth and young adults to serve others through hands-on home building projects. The intent is to develop the spirit of service to others in which both American and Mexican youth / young adults work together building modest two-room homes for impoverished families.
http://www.universalgiving.org/donate/home_building_in_mexico/id5714.do

Our Family Orphan Communities, Inc.: Orphan Communities Project – Mexico
Families for Orphans is a new paradigm of childcare where orphans are adopted into financially stable families in their own country. The children live in a real family with parents and grandparents, receive quality education, computer, life and job skills which prepare them for their future and that of their country.
http://www.universalgiving.org/donate/orphan_communities_project__m/id4858.do

Global Citizens Network: Construction of a Health Clinic for Women in Mexico
GCN is working with a local Nahua women's group that is building a small health clinic in the village of Chicueyaco, Mexico.
http://www.universalgiving.org/donate/construction_of_a_health_clini/id933.do

4th World Love: Help Open a New Community Development Center in Mexico
4th World Love is working to build a new community center in which they will offer much needed English and computer lessons. They will also teach villagers valuable life skills to help increase tourism in their area and, in turn, become more sustainable. Through community meetings with the locals, 4th World Love gets to the heart and soul of what each village needs and help support their wants and desires for the future of their villages.
http://www.universalgiving.org/donate/help_open_a_new_community_deve/id5726.do

The Resource Foundation: Diabetes Prevention Program
The project will provide diabetes awareness and prevention information to parents and teachers of children attending 4 elementary schools in highly marginalized neighborhoods of Mexico City.
http://www.universalgiving.org/donate/diabetes_prevention_program_fo/id3211.do

Puente a la Salud Comunitaria: Healthy Families
In the Healthy Families project, Puente facilitates monthly nutrition and amaranth workshops with over 1,000 women in 20 of the most malnourished rural communities in the state of Oaxaca.
http://www.universalgiving.org/donate/healthy_families/id3987.do

Top Volunteer Opportunities: Ongoing Mexico Support

Global Citizens Network: Support an indigenous women's group in Mexico
Global Citizens Network needs help working with two communities in the state of Puebla, Mexico. Gcn’Spartners are the women's cooperative groups from the indigenous Nahua communities. Living in the state of Puebla, these groups are involved in health and small business development projects that benefit their families and larger community.
http://www.universalgiving.org/volunteer/support_an_indigenous_womens_/id1181.do#oppDetails

Global Volunteers: Teach Conversational English in Mexico
Global Volunteers needs people to teach English to College students in the Spanish colonial cities of Dolores Hidalgo and Queretaro in Mexico. You will be a rare and valuable resource in the local students' quest to gain greater English language proficiency.
http://www.universalgiving.org/volunteer/teach_conversational_english_i/id314.do#oppDetails