Many friends asked us what they can do to help the people in Japan. After many emails and Skype calls with family and friends, here are Don’ts and Dos of helping.
Please don’t send blankets, medicine, etc. If you send stuff, it will not get delivered.
The biggest problem is getting things through. This problem will increase. Supermarket shelves even in downtown Tokyo are bare. No rice, no milk, no pasta. Two reasons: People stocked up. And the distribution system broke down. Roads and ports of the world’s largest importer of agricultural products are closed.
The situation in outlying areas is worse. The logistical problems in a densely populated country with most road and rail by the sea will be staggering.
Please do send money. Pretty much the only thing that works is the Internet, and money can be sent electronically to where it is needed the most.
Money is needed most in the Sendai area, where whole towns and villages were wiped out with tens of thousands unaccounted for.
To donate from your cellphone:
- Text ‘JAPAN’ or ‘QUAKE’ to 80888 to make a $10 donation or visit SalvationArmyUSA.org.
- Text ‘REDCROSS’ to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross.
- Text ‘MED’ to 80888 to donate $10 to Internationalmedicalcorps.org.
- Text ‘JAPAN’ to 50555 to donate $10 to Globalgiving.org
The donation will show up on your next phone bill.
To donate to the Red Cross from anywhere in the world, use this link and pick “Japan: earthquake and tsunami”
These are trustworthy organizations. Be careful of shams and scams.
If you can’t send money, please send a link to some friends.
Toyota donated 300 million yen ($3.6 million) “for relief and recovery efforts in communities affected.” Toyota is “also considering the provision of goods and services as needed.”
Thanks for the info.. We will be giving what we can to Sally Ann.
Bertel…Do you have any links for those of us outside of the USA?
Added. Thank you for the hint.
Currently, help is sorely needed. It’s cold and wet up in Miyagi.
This may help
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/03/apple-itunes-taking-red-cross-donations-for-japan-quake-and-tsunami-relief.html
I see itunes cards in most supermarkets down here in Melbourne.
Also this
http://au.news.yahoo.com/japan-tsunami/a/-/article/8999354/donate-for-japan
Remove this reply after you’re done.
I do local volunteer work for the Red Cross.
The folks truly care about keeping waste to a bare minimum and, at least locally, most workers are volunteers, strict controls are in place to manage funds and paid stuff will not retire wealthy.
At the national and international levels I have been told that the same cares are in place but, obviously, I have not observed those in person.
@ obbop….Good to know dude, I am painfully aware how tight money is these days. Two minutes of your time, and 10 bucks goes a long way.
If you are a person of faith, and I hope you are, here is a program of the United Methodist Church where 100% of all donated money goes to help the people in Japan, none is for overhead or other expense:
To donate on line go to: http://new.gbgm-umc.org/Advance/projects/search/index.cfm?action=details&id=3021317
“If you are a person of faith, and I hope you are”
And that’s supposed to mean what, exactly?
For sake of politeness I’m not saying the first thing that comes to mind.
Bertel, thanks for the links and reminder that even a small donation goes a long way. Please give what you can and then dig a little deeper.
@1996MEdition…+ 1
Also, check and see if you can get a donation match from your employer or any other large organization of which you are a member.
The place I work for is matching employees donations with 100% of both the employee collection and the company match going to the Red Cross.
May as well leverage your donation as much as possible if you have the opportunity.