To support earthquake relief efforts in Haiti, here is a list of reputable organizations large and small accepting donations. Some of these groups are already long established in Haiti, while others are launching their relief efforts. Please be as generous as you can.

 UNICEF is seeking donations to the ongoing emergency relief efforts in Haiti and the Caribbean region through www.unicefusa.org/haitiquake or call 1-800-4UNICEF.

• Operation Helping Hands, a joint community project of The Miami Herald and United Way-Miami, will be collecting donations to support the relief effort in Haiti. To make a contribution, go towww.iwant2help.org

• Mercy Corps established a Haiti Earthquake Fund, PO Box 2669,Portland, OR 97208, www.mercycorps.org, 1-888-256-1900

• The Archdiocese of Miami is accepting financial donations to assist with recovery efforts for the earthquake victims in Haiti. People may send their donations to Catholic Charities, 1505 NE 26th St. Wilton Manors, FL 33305, Attention Earthquake Victims.

• The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) -- the natural disaster relief arm of the OAS -- is asking people who want to donate to visit its special relief website called www.PanAmericanRelief.org.

• The Red Cross is taking donations via text messages. Text the word HAITI to the number 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts. It'll show up on your phone bill. Or donate online at RedCross.org.

• Catholic Relief Services is responding to the aftermath of the massive earthquake that struck near the capital of Port au Prince. www.crs.org.

• Doctors Without Borders is asking for donations to help the emergency response teams in Haiti. Donate with a debit or credit card at https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org.

•Project Medishare, Miami, brings medical care to northeast Haiti. Make a donation at projectmedishare.org; 305-762-6448.

•Hope for Haiti, Naples, Fla., is an education and relief charity that will send supplies by private plane. Donate at hopeforhaiti.comg; 239-434-7183.

•Agape Flights, Venice, Fla., services American missionaries throughout the Caribbean with supply flights, the next scheduled for Thursday. Donate at agapeflights.com; 941-584-8078.

•American Jewish World Service is a New York-based worldwide relief organization with a Haitian disaster fund. Donate at ajws.org; 212-792-2900.

•Haitian Education Project, St. Leo University, north of Tampa, is organizing relief efforts to support people on the ground. For information: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ; 800-334-5532 or 352-588-8331.

•World Vision, a worldwide Christian nonprofit, has been providing humanitarian services in Haiti for decades. Donate to the disaster relief fund at worldvision.org; 866-280-6587. P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way,WA 98063-9716.

• The Salvation Army, a Christian nonprofit, has been operating in Haiti since 1950, with schools, medical facilities, schools, feeding and economic development programs. Donate to its disaster relief fund atsalvationarmyusa.org ; 1-800-SAL-ARMY. Checks to Salvation Army, 61 NW 67 St., Miami, FL 33150.

• Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, is an international Catholic non-governmental organization with a relief operation:jrsusa.org ; 202-462-0400; twitter.com/jrsusa ; on Facebook at http://bit.ly/y5EUS.

• Food For The Poor, is a Christian relief agency headquartered in Coconut Creek. Donate over the phone at 1-800-487-1158 or online at foodforthepoor.org/HaitiQuake

• The Greater Miami Jewish Federation, a social service agency, has established an emergency relief fund for immediate humanitarian aid to earthquake victims. 100% of contributions to will go to direct aid. Donations at jewishmiami.org; checks to For Haiti Earthquake Relief, c/o Greater Miami Jewish Federation, 4200 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FL 33137; 305-576-4000.

Yele Foundation, a grassroots movement established by Haitian-born musician Wyclef Jean that builds global awareness for Haiti while helping to transform the country through programs in education, jobs, sports, etc.  Donate by texting "Yele" to 501501 or send a check to Yele Haiti, P.O box, 2345, New York, NY 10108. See www.yele.org.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John Morton yesterday halted all deportations or removals of undocumented Haitians for the time being in response to the devastation caused by yesterday’s earthquake. "ICE continues to closely monitor the situation,” the DHS stated.

Meanwhile, the Haitian-American community together with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and other supporters are urging the DHS to immediately grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to undocumented Haitians in the U.S, which would allow them to work here legally and send money home without fear of deportation for a temporary period. Despite massive hurricanes and other environmental disasters in the past, the U.S. has never seen fit to grant Haitians TPS.

Currently, nationals of Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Somalia and Sudan in the U.S. have TPS status, which is granted to nationals in the U.S. who cannot return home due to environmental disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes, armed conflict and other extraordinary circumstances. This status is only granted to individuals already in the U.S. and they must apply within a particular period of time and meet certain physical presence requirements. Felons are not eligible to apply.

Although the status is temporary, as the name implies, nationals from the Central American nations have had TPS since 1999. Others, such as Liberians and Sierra Leonians, had TPS protection, but changes in their countries' conditions encouraged DHS to end TPS for these two groups.