Michelle Sutherlin used to bake so she’d have something to bring to her Bible study group.

Now, she, along with 22 other bakers, is whisking, chopping and blending to raise money for the Red Cross’ earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.

Sutherlin, human relations graduate student, actually started her project, Confections for a Cause, last year as a fundraiser for the United Way of Norman.

“We just didn’t have a lot of extra [money], so I decided that I needed to figure out a way to make my dollar go farther,” said Sutherlin, also an adjunct professor of journalism. “And so, I started brainstorming [about] what can I sell. What am I good at, what can I do?”

With the help of a friend, she set up a Web site, www.confectionsforacause.com, and set a goal of raising $500.

Confections eventually raised more than $2,500, which led Sutherlin to plan for another round of baking this year.

“We knew that it was really successful and we wanted to do it again,” she said. “But we knew we had to do better this time.

“Then the earthquake in Haiti happened, and my best friend called me on Wednesday night and said ‘We’re baking for Haiti.’ And I said ‘OK, let’s do it.’”

Confections is offering 27 menu items, including vegan and gluten-free options. She said she plans to take orders through Feb. 8, but if demand warrants, she may extend the deadline. Orders can be picked up on four different dates in the coming month at the Red Cross office in Norman, 1205 Halley Ave. Sutherlin also plans to add a drop-off day in Oklahoma City.

Other OU students have plans of their own to help relief efforts in Haiti.

Amanda Hoffman, geography junior, laid the groundwork last semester to start a chapter of the Global Haiti Initiative at OU.

“We were just going to try to help in any way we could,” she said.

For the coming semester, however, Hoffman said the group’s efforts will focus on fundraising for earthquake relief in Haiti, and channeling that money to organizations that already have a presence in Haiti, such as the Red Cross.

The Initiative is an intercollegiate clearinghouse for developmental programs in Haiti, according to the Initiative’s Web site. Hoffman said a friend of hers started the Initiative at Florida State University.

Eventually, when the immediate needs of earthquake relief have passed, Hoffman said the group will focus on ways to develop Haiti’s infrastructure, which was limited prior to the earthquake, according to the CIA World Factbook. She also said she would like to send members of OU’s chapter of the Initiative to Haiti, when conditions in the country allow for it.

The group will hold its first meeting Jan. 26 at a campus location to be determined.

Issac Freeman, international security studies senior, is also working to raise money for Haiti relief. His goal is to have a table at Winter Welcome Week events and around campus this week to raise money for Haiti.

“This is something I could do,” Freeman said. “I’m supportive of other efforts and everything, but this is not instead of other things. This is on top of all those things.”

Texting allows anyone with a cell phone and a few spare seconds to make a donation to a Haiti relief organization. Donations can be made with a text to one of several different relief organizations, and spokespeople for Sprint, Verizon and AT&T stated in e-mails that those texts will not count against customers’ texting plans, nor will they incur the usual texting fee.

Typically, when cell phone companies coordinate charitable giving through text messaging, they wait until donors pay their phone bills before giving the funds to the designated charities, a process that can take 30 to 60 days, according to a statement on Sprint’s Web site. However, Sprint is advancing 80 percent of the pledged donations immediately, Sprint spokesman Alex Hahn stated in an e-mail. T-Mobile will forward the money pledged by text donations to the intended agencies sometime this week, spokeswoman Amanda Ginther stated in an e-mail. Last week, Verizon made a $2.9 million donation to the Red Cross based on text donations received to that point, spokeswoman Lucie Pathmann stated in an e-mail.

DONATIONS

On campus or in Norman:

Confections for a Cause is selling baked goods, with the proceeds going to Haiti relief. Visit www.confectionsforacause.com to place an order or for more information, or search for “Confections for a Cause” on Facebook.

The Global Haiti Initiative is an intercollegiate clearinghouse for developmental programs in Haiti. A chapter is in the beginning stages at OU. Search for “The Global Haiti Initiative — OU Chapter” on Facebook or e-mail Amanda Hoffman at a.hoff@ou.edu for more information. The group’s first meeting is Jan. 26.

Donations by text

OU Helping Haiti will be collecting donations as part of Winter Welcome Week. Search for “OU Helping Haiti” on Facebook for more information.

By text:

Text “HAITI” to “90999” to donate $10 on behalf of the American Red Cross.

Text “YELE” to “501501” to donate $5 on behalf of Wyclef Jean’s Yéle Haiti Foundation.

Text “QUAKE” to “20222 to donate $10 on behalf of The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.

Text “HAITI” to “85944” to donate $5 on behalf of the Rescue Union Mission and MedCorp International.

Text “HAITI” to “25383” to donate $5 on behalf of the International Rescue Committee.

Online:

The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund

American Red Cross

Wyclef Jean’s Yéle Haiti Foundation

International Rescue Committee

Sources: Alex Hahn, Sprint spokesman; Clinton Bush Haiti Fund Web site; American Red Cross Web site; Yéle Haiti Web site; International Rescue Committee Web site; Michelle Sutherlin, Confections for a Cause founder; Amanda Hoffman, Global Haiti Initiative — OU Chapter president; Issac Freeman, OU Helping Haiti founder.