After much search and research… and reading and weighing… the first Causes for Healing winner has been chosen! The winner is… Stand With Haiti.

This medically oriented non-profit has an over 20-year history of being on the ground in Haiti, through Parnters in Health, delivering crucial health care and medical supplies. Stand With Haiti is Boston-based Partners in Health’s most recent campaign that specifically supports Haitian survivors of January’s massive earthquake.

Stand for Haiti’s Web site is a dedicated page of blog-style feeds with instant updates from staff. Here supporters can find out what’s happening right now and, most importantly, learn about critical needs–such as surgical supplies, medications, blankets, satellite phones, and surgical teams.

To build support and awareness about their relief efforts, Stand for Haiti teamed with MTV and a few other influential aid organizations to produce Hope for Haiti Now concert airing Friday, January 22, 2010.

The global telethon will feature performances by Wyclef Jean, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, and Sting in New York City; Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift and a group performance by Keith Urban, Kid Rock, and Sheryl Crow in Los Angeles; and Coldplay, and a group performance by Bono, The Edge, Jay-Z, and Rihanna in a newly added London location. Money raised from the event will be split evenly among various relief, recovery, and development organizations—including PIH (for SWH), the Red Cross, Yele Haiti, and others.

Today, amid the outpouring of aid to Haitian earthquake survivors, the power of healing and helping those in need crystallized in a heartbeat. Generous acts are incredible ‘hapi heart’ inducers — and that’s because they are chock-full of meaning.

In fact, one of the most satisfying and joyful experiences us humans have is giving to those in need — or to anyone, really. Just the act of being generous unleashes a geyser of feel-good serotonin in our brain, which translates to a sense of heart-pumping purpose. While we don’t wish calamity on any fellow human, being able to help someone out who is truly unable to help him/herself,  is good for the soul.

There may be no big revelations here, but an epiphany nonetheless came barreling through: with the hundreds, if not thousands (probably more) of causes around the globe conspiring to heal and protect, why not commence a project that takes a close look at some of those organizations and the people who bring them to life?

So… I officially announce the launch of Hapiheart’s ‘Causes for Healing Project.’ What will take place over the next year is a survey of social, sustainability, humanitarian, disaster relief and healing related projects, movements and initiatives that span our planet. I’ll try to focus on one a week, commenting on what they do, how they do it and what makes them effective at healing the world, its people, and our biggest social, environmental and spiritual challenges.

Last year’s economic downturn brought dark times to many of us. Let’s concentrate on hope this year, and how we can all work together to build a happy and healthy vibration on this tender earth.