Help for Japan

Hey gang,
As the situation in Japan appears to grow more and more dismal by the day, I figured it would be a good idea to throw out some options for anyone who may happen to accidentally discover this web page, or whoever may wish to donate to a cause to help the victims of Japan's earthquake and tsunami.  I've got the links on my side bar, but will describe them here as well.

Salvation Army - You'll need to figure out for yourself which Salvos to donate to, because if I read it correctly, it does matter. I've put up links to the Australian and the US websites for the Salvation Army, but if you're from another country than those two listed, be sure to check Google for an appropriate webpage.  So far, as of 16 March 2011, the Salvation Army has three teams in Japan providing help to people affected by the earthquake, tsunami, and ongoing issues at the nuclear power plant.   They state on their news page that the Japanese Government has recognized their work and has given their teams permission to enter the disaster area and to use roads that are otherwise closed off to the public.  Click here for the rest of their story so far.

Save the Children - Save the Children has so far sent a team to Sendai to aid the children and their families there.  As said on their webpage I've linked to the side, they have been setting up networks of child friendly spaces there, and have already established an evacuation center in one of Sendai City's elementary schools.  They're working very hard to ensure that children are being taken care of, including protecting their rights and providing psychosocial support to help the children overcome the stress and shock of the recent events.

"Dog Bless You" Facebook page - Explore.org is donating $1 to the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, up to $100,000, for every "Like" on its Facebook page.  As of right now, they seem to be well over the 100,000 mark, but I thought it a cause good enough to mention.

Causes - The first time I heard of this was on Facebook, but Causes.com has a fundraising project that offers two different ways that you can help.  You can choose to donate money straight off, in amounts of $10, $25, $50, $100, or $500.  If you want to help in a different way, you also have the option to "Give a minute," which, from what I've gathered, involves completing an "activity" which comes after an advertisement.  I was only able to complete one activity before I got a "no activities left" message, but see how you go, and definitely share it with your friends.

Red Cross - The Red Cross is one of the names being heard on the news or around the web.  Depending on what country you are in , there are several different ways for you to donate.  There's an option to donate by mail, by phone, by person, or online.  You can even volunteer your time or donate blood. Find your country's appropriate Red Cross website and pick a way to help out.  So far, according to their website, the Red Cross has had a helicopter team evacuate people from their rooftops, transported medicine, and food to hospitals.  Japanese Red Cross volunteers have been distributing relief items, including more than 65,000 blankets, to victims, and have been ensuring people are getting hot meals, clearing debris, and providing medical transportation.  Additionally, the Japanese Red Cross has sent 85 medical teams (more than 735 people!) including doctors and nurses to the areas that need them the most.

Google - Google has been outstanding in my opinion since the whole situation began.  I recall them even having tsunami warnings on their front page that evening.  They've established a web page that is updated continuously with the purpose of giving the latest information, resources for people who've been affected by the situation, and ways to contribute to relief efforts.

Straight off, they have the Donation section, which includes the Japanese Red Cross Society, unicef, Save the Children, and International Medical Corps.  Under that, they have the Resources section, with all sorts of very useful things, such as Emergency voicemail message boards, an Alarm and Warning section, Maps, and Shelter information.  There's plenty there.

At the bottom, they have the "Latest News" section, which includes a video section and a Realtime Updates section.  Anything that's said about the earthquake, tsunami, or nuclear situation in Japan shows up instantly, which is very good for keeping up with what is going on overseas at the moment.

So, to wrap this all up, there's many things you can do to help the victims of the Japanese earthquake/tsunami/nuclear crisis.  There's plenty of options, so pick the one you like best, and find a way to make it work.  The more we can do to help the people affected by this event, the better.

"Prayer doesn't do anything."

It's depressing how negative and crappy people can be to each other when there's a lot of bad things going on in the world. You would think that when something bad happens, people would you know... Think before they speak?

But I forget sometimes that people will be people.  To hurt someone else for personal gain, even if it's to stroke one's own ego, is completely natural for people to do.

Among many of the "Fuck Japan, it's what they get for WWII," and "The Japanese deserve this!,"comments that I've been seeing around places today, I've also been seeing some thrown in that have to do with praying, especially comments saying that it does nothing and that people are being lazy and selfish.

I'm sure that many of the people who are praying for those in Japan (and Libya.  And Egypt.  And New Zealand. And Queensland.  And everywhere something "big" has happened lately) has donated something to help these people out.  I'm also sure that many haven't donated.  But to call them selfish and lazy? Is that necessary?

The fact is, whether you believe that praying will help or not, people are getting the word out.  People are spreading around the news of what has happened.  Even if it's just someone saying, "Pray for Japan!" on their facebook, it's something, because then others will see it.  And then they'll say something about it.  Then more people will know about it.  The more people who spread the word about what is happening, the better, because then people will have the option to help out in some way that is a feasible option for them. Whether it's donating clothes, money, flying overseas and helping physically, or just spreading the word and praying about it, people are doing good things, and to call them selfish and lazy only exposes the filthy, negative creature that you are to the outside world.