Saundra Schimmelpfennig advises:

Unless you are an experienced aid worker and have a position with an experienced aid organization, PLEASE don't go to Haiti. I understand your motivation, you want to help in anyway that you can. But how much help can you actually give compared to the added burden of another body to feed and care for. After the tsunami I heard a lot about people wanting to go over and pick up rubble, tend children, drive trucks, or do whatever needs to be done. But there are thousands of local people there that can do that exact same thing, and they speak the language, understand the culture, and have a support system. The costs of having foreign volunteers are often greater than the benefits.