Okay. I've already donated some money to the Red Cross, but I wanted to do more, so I'm doing a benefit raffle for two necklaces, an auction for a custom piece of jewelry of your choice, and there are also earrings that you can just buy outright if you're not the gambling sort. All proceeds from this will go directly to relief efforts.

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If you're unsure where to send your money, here is a list of charitable organizations with good information about who they are, how they use their funds, and what strings (if any) they attach to their help. Also, my friend Rose listed a lot of resources here, and there are more suggestions in the comments of that entry. The Red Cross is probably the easiest, but please also consider other places, including organizations working in the smaller towns and cities in the south.

If you have any questions, or if I've left out something important, please email me at [email protected]. I'm tired, I'm heartsick, and I'm posting this in a hurry.

Please link to this entry wherever you can. If you can't afford to donate anything, please consider doing some of the things Rose listed in her entry.

Thank you.

UPDATE: As of 11 p.m. September 2nd, a total of $251 has been donated or pledged as a result of this fundraiser. It's a great start, and I can't tell you how very much I appreciate what you're doing to help.

UPDATE #2: Over $450 has been rased so far, and it ends tomorrow -- last chance, y'all. Also, as an extra incentive, I've decided to send a thank you note and a small shiny of some sort to everyone who enters/bids/buys. It may take me a while, because my life is crazy, but I will get to everybody eventually, I promise.

Tags: benefit, jewelry, tikkun olam