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Original poster

Japan is there some fund you can contribute to?

91 replies

ZZZenAgain · 13/03/2011 17:37

Hi does anyone know of a fund to help the people in Japan after the quake/tsunami - or some way of showing support to them?

I am overseas but I would like to try and do something.

OP posts:
GypsyMoth · 13/03/2011 17:38

not sure yet....but its red nose day here next week,would rather donate to japan!

exexpat · 13/03/2011 17:38

The red cross is active over there already and has an appeal page: Japan Tsunami.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 13/03/2011 17:38

I have been wondering the same thing.

There is shlterbox could we set up an mn fund for this so that we can see something concrete out of our donations?

PavlovtheCat · 13/03/2011 17:43

I have been wondering the same thing too. I want to do something. I have little money to contribute, and I feel there must be something I can do. I feel so helpless that so many of our fellow humans are suffering and going to suffer for a long time from this. Both in Japan who have been double smacked by nature and in New Zealand who continue to suffer from the aftermath of their quake

Sad I shall watch this thread with interest.

exexpat · 13/03/2011 17:44

Yep, shelterbox already out there and helping too. But zzzen - if you are overseas, there is probably a local red cross branch you can donate to.

Original poster
ZZZenAgain · 13/03/2011 17:47

thanks everyone. Well I don't know here in the Czech Republic people have worries of their own obviously, it is not a wealthy country. Not sure if there can be much done from here for Japan, at least don't know of anything. Red cross is good. I can have a look, maybe there is a church appeal.

I had never heard of shelterbox before thanks kitten.

NZ too, it's true pavlov. I'll see if I can find out something a bout a local church appeal and if not, I'll contribute to the Red Cross appeal you linked to exex.

OP posts:
Thingumy · 13/03/2011 18:43

OYYBK

If you are a UK resident then you can donate £5 to ShelterBox by texting 'boxes' to 70700.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 13/03/2011 20:32

excellent - thank you thingumy :)

Thingumy · 13/03/2011 21:10

You are welcome Smile

They are doing fantastic work across the globe for victims of disaster.

I think a MN shelterbox fund is an excellent idea,do you think we should start up a separate thread?

Summerbird73 · 13/03/2011 21:57

it is the plight of the orphaned children that is getting to me. there are some tiny babies/toddlers out there who may never see their parents again even if they are still alive. i want to 'do' something to help, but i dont know what. i may send money/donate to red cross but i sometimes feel like monetary donations get lost - not literaly - but just disappear amongst the red tape IYSWIM.

I was wondering if a shoebox appeal - say toys and clothes for the children - would be up and running.

i too will watch this thread with interest

Sad
Thingumy · 13/03/2011 22:22

Maybe you could think about to donating to World Vision Summer?

Their response via BBC today.

"1942: The children's charity, World Vision, which normally works in developing countries, is to send staff to Japan. Spokesman Dominic Nutt told the BBC that it felt compelled to help. "The scale of this disaster is so huge that in the end we decided we had to get involved. We know that we can do some very good work with the children there. They are traumatised. Everything they believe in, everything they knew and understood - their parents, their houses, their schools - have been ripped away from them, and the very ground on which they stood has been swept away."

Yukana · 14/03/2011 08:25

Here is a link to a list of organisations/charities you can donate to that are helping Japan:

www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2011-03-11/relief-funds-for-march-11-earthquake/tsunami-in-japan

I hope this helps.

Original poster
ZZZenAgain · 14/03/2011 08:40

thank you everyone, have sent a contribution . I agree with you summer, terrible what is going on there. Even though Japan is a wealthy country, I still felt the need to do something. A shoebox appeal would be really good IMO, I agree with you and I would support that too

Go ahead thingummy, maybe under site stuff?

Yukana's link:
link

OP posts:
WorzselMummage · 14/03/2011 08:45

A shoe box would be easy to do, I'd most definatly do one or two. A mn campaign would be amazing!

Will donate to shelterbox too.

PavlovtheCat · 14/03/2011 08:46

Wealthy they might be, but us helping, doing something, sending something, it shows they are not alone in dealing with this. It shows that the world has seen and the world cares. They can throw their own money into rebuilding, which they will, and very quickly i am sure, but they need solidarity from the rest of the world to help them through this as well as money.

That is certainly where my desire to help comes from, i cannot bear to think this suffering has not yet ended from them.

I will be donating today. Will take a look at the link yukana provided and some of the others too.

Original poster
ZZZenAgain · 14/03/2011 08:50

I agree with you completely pavlov.

I looked at the samaritan's Chritmas shoebox page. It would be a fantastic thing to do.

[http://www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk/about here]]

OP posts:
catinthehat2 · 14/03/2011 08:51

Yukana's link in clickable form

Original poster
ZZZenAgain · 14/03/2011 08:51

rats link issues:here
how do you set up an mn appeal - ask HQ for permission etc? I have no idea

OP posts:
meditrina · 14/03/2011 08:58

A note of caution on shoe-box appeals - right now they'll need all space on cargo flights for emergency and recovery supplies, and to time to establish infrastructure links for distribution.

Could I suggest that it's a "second wave" activity?

Original poster
ZZZenAgain · 14/03/2011 09:01

thanks

OP posts:
exexpat · 14/03/2011 09:01

I really don't think shoeboxes are a great idea for Japan - the cost of shipping boxes of things there would be way out of proportion to their value. Airmailing a shoe box would cost about £10-£15; by seamail it would take 6-8 weeks. Also, in the affected areas transport is completely knocked out, so distributing things would be really difficult.

Besides, Japan is still a rich country and most of the country is unaffected; there is no shortage of small toys, personal items etc and I'm sure plenty of that kind of thing is going to be making its way to the relief centres from more local sources.

I think supporting the charities that do medical/relief work is much more important. And if you feel like doing something more personal, perhaps when things have calmed down again, trying to set up a school-to-school project with children in an affected area would be the way to go.

Summerbird73 · 14/03/2011 09:15

someone at work has said that too exexpat, so i agree that maybe the world vision donation is a good idea - thankyou thingumy

i just want to do something

Thingumy · 14/03/2011 10:15

ZZZen-I have no idea how you start up a MN fund or who gives the idea the thumbs up.

hogsback · 14/03/2011 10:25

Agree with other comments on shoeboxes. What is needed is large scale aid - prefab buildings, generators, water purification etc. Toys and children's clothes can be sourced easily in Japan and from it's nearby neighbours.

Money is by far the best thing that one can give.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 14/03/2011 11:52

Are you around to contact mn today thingumy to ask them to do it officially? if not I can do it this evening. (flying visit atm!)
For those who arent aware shelterbox is not shoebox stuff, it is about essential early responder type equipment essential for the first few days/weeks after a disaster.