As the Eastern Seaboard recovers from the effects of Hurricane Sandy, many people are in need of help. Individuals in the areas hit especially hard – namely New Jersey and New York – are patiently awaiting disaster relief, but many organizations are taking it upon themselves to implement SMS services to help their efforts.
The Red Cross is implementing a service that allows individuals to use short code SMS to text the word "REDCROSS" to 90999 to make a $10 donation. This is one of the many ways the Red Cross is helping the victims of the disaster.
"This storm is dangerous and it's critical to follow the advice of local emergency officials," said Charley Shimanski, senior vice president of Disaster Services for the Red Cross. "If people are told to evacuate, they need to do it. The Red Cross has shelters open and will be opening more throughout the day. Hundreds of disaster workers are ready with relief supplies and emergency vehicles in place to help."
Ultimately, their biggest contribution will be the money sent by mobile phone users around the world. Texting in a donation is simple yet effective and can help a tremendous amount of people at the same time.
This exemplifies why so many organizations are turning to text messaging as a way to reach recipients and conduct tasks such as sending money or offering promotions. This blog has already discussed the programs in place that allow citizens to donate to their favorite presidential candidate, as well as pay for goods and services, all through the use of the SMS application. By texting a contribution to the relief fund, individuals can use their phones to do some real good.
Organizations looking to help victims should consider implementing an SMS service that allows for further donations. Swift SMS Gateway offers the tools needed to set up an effective text message program.
