It's been a very tragic and painful week. The terrorist attacks against the United States have shattered the lives of many, while terrifying us all. But they have also led to a sense of unity and patriotism.

The American Red Cross is assisting in disaster recovery efforts in New York City and Washington, D.C. This non-profit organization has been receiving a great deal of support, but can always use more.

Amazon.com has set up a page to donate money directly to the Red Cross, with 100% of the donations going to the Red Cross. As of Thursday night, Amazon had already collected nearly $4 million for the Red Cross. Amazon allows you to donate an amount between $1 to $100, and you may use your credit card, as with any Amazon transaction. I donated money through Amazon, and the process was very simple.

You may also donate money directly to the American Red Cross. Their web site is http://www.redcross.org, and lists phone numbers you can call to give your support.

Be aware that there have been some reports of fraudulent e-mails/spams requesting financial assistance for this disaster. It is despicable that someone would exploit this tragedy. If you would like to donate money, please donate it directly to a reputable organization like the Red Cross.

http://helping.org/ is another reputable option. This site allows you to donate to many different charities, including the United Way's September 11th Fund, the New York Firefighter's Fund, and the New York State World Trade Center Relief Fund. In addition, helping.org has lots of information on volunteer organizations throughout the country. The site claims to not take a cut of the donation.