Many ways to donate to Haiti disaster relief

People may help victims of the earthquake in Haiti by:

Donating items to Deseret Industries.

Making humanitarian aid kits.

Volunteering labor hours at bishops storehouses, welfare farms, canneries or other Welfare Services projects.

Donating to the Humanitarian Aid Fund. Members may donate to the fund:

— Through a local ward or branch and marking the category "Humanitarian Aid" on the donation slip.

— By mailing donations to Humanitarian Services, 50 East North Temple Street, Floor 7, Salt Lake City, UT 84150-6890

— Online through LDS Philanthropies www.ldsphilanthropies.org (click on the "Donate Online" icon in the upper left-hand corner).

Smith's grocery stores and Golden West Bank have also joined the Red Cross cause to support the Red Cross International Response Fund. Smith's will take donations at their grocery store registers through Jan. 30 and Golden West Bank will take donations at all 17 Utah bank branches.

Utahns can also donate online at www.utahredcross.org by calling 1-800-REDCROSS or by mailing 555 East 300 South Suite #200 Salt Lake City, Utah 84102. For Spanish, visit www.cruzrojaamericana.org or call 1-800-257-7575.

Utahhaitirelief.org is another Utah-related Web site where people can make donations.

The Utah Division of Consumer Protection is advising residents to avoid scams preying on those wanting to help Haiti quake victims by not replying to unsolicited e-mail asking for donations, not clicking on links within unknown e-mails, being wary of people claiming to be officials asking for e-mail donations, opening e-mail attachments only from people you know and never giving out personal or financial information over the phone or through an e-mail that could result in identity theft.

Tips on donating from InterAction, a coalition of U.S.-based international non-governmental organizations:

Donating cash to established relief organizations is the best way to help because it allows professionals to get exactly what they need and does not use up scarce resources such as transportation, staff time or warehouse space.

If you decide to donate supplies and not cash, contact an established relief organization before you collect anything. If you have already collected items, donate them to a relief organization within your community or sell them at a yard sale or charity auction and donate the proceeds.