Assigned Haitian

The linked article describes the perils of a dog lost at sea and the immense public support for the huge expenditures required to finally rescue it. The author contrasts the intense sentiments people feel for a troubled individual (dog or human) with those we feel for nameless suffering people counted in hundreds, thousands or more.

I propose that the intense sentiment attached to individuals in trouble could be harnessed for the benefit of those individuals by assigning an individual Haitian to each US citizen. This would be by phone book name and address. There are more US citizens than Haitians but each Haitian would not go to more than one citizen because then citizens would not feel individual responsibility. Some citizens would get no Haitians and would be assigned a suffering human in the next catastrophe or from some other lower profile ongoing one.

The web makes these logistics easier and administrative costs cheaper. All would be public and listed. Individuals would find that they had been assigned a Haitian by checking the website, or by acquaintances that check the website and notify them. One could imagine these acquaintances asking the assigned person from time to time how their Haitian was doing. The assignment is irrevocable. Actions on behalf of Haitian taken by the assigned citizen or by his/her friends and relatives would be listed. Ongoing suffering (or not) of Haitian in question would be described. The Haitian might send a card or letter of thanks as he or she sees fit.

One problem is that I am not sure how individual Haitians are tracked. I have a suspicion they may not be. This can be addressed in an ad hoc manner.

I am aware that people in other countries may have the resources to be charitable, if sufficiently provoked. This scheme could be expanded to include such.