I JOINED OVER 1200 BLOGGERS ON MARCH 18 IN a Bloggers Day of Silence to increase support and awareness of Japan's plight after the earthquake and tsunami. UtterlyEngaged.com (the first online wedding magazine) and Ever-Ours.com (a romantic wedding blog) created the ForJapanWithLove.com disaster relief. Their goal was to raise $5,500. Within hours, they raised over $50,000.
I donated and love knowing the money goes to ShelterBox.org. Japanese authorities asked ShelterBox for help and SB responded. Boxes have already been delivered and more are on their way to the worst-hit areas.
ShelterBox provides emergency shelter and and supplies to families when they need it most. Although each green box is tailored to the disaster, it usually contains a relief tent for an extended family, blankets, water storage and purification equipment, cooking utensils, a stove, basic tool kit, a children's activity pack and other vital items. A box costs $1000.
If you'd like to contribute, go to ForJapanWithLove.com > Click Here To Donate.
And thank you for your generosity.
MY COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS HAVE ASKED HOW BEST TO HELP SURVIVORS IN JAPAN. I've been giving it some thought.
-- I donate cash. Cash is best because relief organizations can use the money exactly as they need to. And it's quick and easy to contribute over the internet. Although I'd love to jump on a plane and help Japan with my own two hands, untrained volunteers are often more a hindrance than a help. I want to send blankets and clothes to warm those surrounded by snow, but I know they won't get there quickly or easily given dwindling supplies of gasoline and heavily damaged roads.
-- I contribute to different organizations. It makes me feel like I'm doing more if I can "give" shelter, "give" medical assistance, "give" water.
-- I usually contribute to larger organizations. They may already have a presence in the area and tend to have the resources to deliver a lot of supplies quickly.
-- Sometimes I give to smaller charities because I love their story and what they do.
-- I prefer to donate to groups that allow me to pick a country or region where my dollars will go (like Japan).
-- I access CharityNavigator.org for a peek at the charity's financials. I prefer groups that spend less on fundraising and admin and more on assistance and supplies. But sometimes I ignore the nums and go with my heart.
-- I usually donate to groups with a website that starts with "https" (
not "http). Why? Because it's more secure, especially when giving my credit card number over the internet.
-- I plan to donate in phases. There are immediate needs and needs that will become more important as time goes on. It's easy for survivors to be front-page news today and forgotten tomorrow so I plan to donate to different groups every several months.
This is what I plan to do:
IMMEDIATE RELIEF (food, water, shelter, blankets, medical help). I've donated to:
-- American.RedCross.org (their web address starts with "https"; RedCross.org does
not, although maybe it comes up when you donate). Although it is not my favorite charity, it
is a charity already in Japan. That's important so no time is wasted in getting there, setting up, organizing, etc.
-- DoctorsWithoutBorders.org. I like them because they're neutral, operating independent of any political, military or religious agenda.
-- StorageBox.org.
BIKES. With damaged roads and limited gasoline, I plan to donate to a group that provides bicycles. I read about them years ago, but don't remember their name. I'll have to find them. I do remember reading that giving bikes to people not only helps them get from place to place, but also helps them get supplies and to establish a tiny business. I think this will become more important in Japan as time goes on.
LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS. There is a fine line between helping and assisting. When we
help, we sometimes see the person as weak and unable to do something without us. Ah, but when we
assist, we know the person is strong and capable and wise and wonderful and just needs a little something to make things easier for them right now. I like the idea of assisting others so they are stronger without us and so I adore Heifer Project
International (not Heifer Foundation; see heifer.org). According to CharityNavigator.org, HPI spends more money than I'd like on fund raising; however, I love their concept. They emphasize community involvement and long-term sustainable development. I'm thinking of donating chickens. They're small, don't eat much, easy to care for and lay eggs (a good source of protein). Did you know that recipients (of cows, chickens, rabbits, bees, etc.) must share the offspring of the gift animals with others in need? So the entire community benefits over time. And recipients are not just given a cow (for example), they're trained on how to care for it, feed it, use it's milk to make butter, etc. Oh. I'm disappointed. They don't currently work in Japan.
HOUSING. I love Habitat for Humanity (see Habitat.org). They build and repair simple, decent, affordable houses
with those who lack adequate shelter. Since the homeowners must help build their own home as part of sweat equity, it's another way of making people stronger by letting them participate in the solution. They also work locally in communities which helps the immediate area. Since 1976, they've built or repaired over 400,000 houses and served over 2,000,000 people.
BACHAN. And as for Bachan, she's saving her money to give directly to Yoshio. I will try to do the same.
JAPAN IS A NATION of strong, hard-working people, who believe in helping themselves and those around them. They will work together to rise up from the debris of destruction like a phoenix and one day move from a place of surviving to one of thriving. This I know.
Please give what you can, if nothing more than a positive thought.
On behalf of the Izumi and Abe families and all of Japan, I thank you!
May assistance surround you,
Catherine
