Monday, March 14, 2011

good deeds ~ relief efforts for japan

i had a different good deeds post all ready to go, but after the devastating tsunami i couldn't think of anything more important right now than encouraging all of us to help our friends in japan.  

i'm sure you've all seen the incredibly heart-wrenching footage and photos of the devastation - of freighter ships sitting in the middle of neighborhoods which are now empty of houses, of cars piled upon cars, and houses piled upon houses.  i'm sure you've been reading about the nuclear crises and radiation exposure, of rescue efforts in the freezing cold, of a rising death toll, of entire cities and their citizens missing, and now, volcano activity in the southern part of the country.
{photos from sfgate}

i keep thinking, it could just as easily be us.  earthquakes and tsunamis always hit close to home for me since i live in california.  when the earthquake struck haiti, it was easy to tell myself a lot of the destruction was due to insufficient building codes, which was true.  but the destruction in japan just shows that it doesn't matter how developed your country is, or how prepared you are for giant earthquakes and tsunamis.  anything can happen, at any moment.  i mean, if an earthquake in the pacific can shift the entire country of japan 12 feet to the east and change the tilt of the earth's axis, what difference do building codes make?  well okay, building codes, tsunami sirens, and evacuation
routes make a HUGE difference, and i'm so glad we have them!  but my point is, natural disasters
are not something we can win a war against or totally avoid with protocols.  


so with that in mind, i have two ideas for good deeds today:

1. while you are blessed with this life, love and live as best as you can.
2.  please find some way to help the people of japan as they deal with
such a tremendous {no word feels strong enough here} loss.

- you can donate $10 to the red cross by texting REDCROSS to 90999.
- work with your school, church, or other organization to combine efforts for a fundraiser. 
- in the coming weeks, keep an eye out for other ways you may be able to help {donating clothing,
volunteering to do medical or labor work, etc.}.
- check out other organizations taking donations on msnbc's "how to help" page.


we are all connected in this world, and i think it's tremendously important to support one another in these tragic times.

19 comments:

  1. Thank you for posting this. It is so incredibly sad. It is scary that, yes, it could happen to us. They had 5 minutes to evacuate. Could you imagine? My Church is always the first one there and I am definitely donating to help. There are so many people in this world that a little from everyone can make such a difference.

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  2. Kim, I'm so thankful you wrote this post. I hadn't seen those photos yet -- they're almost surreal. We sometimes feel like we're in a protective bubble here in the US but the truth is that something like that could happen to us. I'm going to look for things I can do in the coming weeks to help, since I can't afford to donate financially at this time. Maybe I'll organize something on my campus.

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  3. Well put!
    This is so true, it can happen to anyone, anywhere.
    I couldn't agree more with your good deeds Kim.

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  4. So well put Kim. Seeing these images is so sad. Every time I have the news on I get chills.

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  5. I was struck a bit numb on Friday morning. This sort of devastation is always shocking, and always makes me feel so insignificant...so I donated to the cause on Friday - it felt like the only thing to do. Thank you so much for posting about this, Kim - there are so many more ways we can all make a little bit of a difference.

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  6. My heart breaks every time I watch the news. I am praying as much as I can for the victims. An earthquake, tsunami, nuclear explosion. How much can these people take? & now there's a warning for another tsunami and a second explosion.

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  7. Reading this and looking at the photos has brought tears to my eyes. I'm going to donate tomorrow.

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  8. all the images look like they come from a hollywood movie they are are outrageous!!!

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  9. Thank you for posting this. I was an exchange student in Japan at one point in my life and grew up in a country that experiences several damaging earthquakes. It's always a good reminder that we can all do a little something to help.

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  10. Japan is devastating to me right now. You're so right - it could have been any of us. While I'm on the East Coast, there are lots of disasters that could happen and we need to help our global neighbors and work as human beings to better one another's lives. I'll talk to Noah tonight to see if we can brainstorm a way to give to Japan.

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  11. The way that you encourage altruism is always so inspiring to read! Thanks for including some options for how to reach out in the aftermath of this disaster.

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  12. This is wonderful, I love how caring you are. I still can't believe it all happened, we think we're invincible when none of us are. I love your list of things we can do, I can't wait to get a donation together at work. So sad :(

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  13. So devastating. the fact that it altered the earth's axis is mind boggling.

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  14. i can think of little else besides the devastation and the destruction that took place in japan. it makes one feel so scared and so vulnerable. and we are all connected. we all need a helping hand now and again, and it is nice to know that so many people care and want to help.

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  15. thanks for the resource links. I know a lot of us feel aimless and helpless when we think about what to do. Thank you for reminding us that we can all do a something to help.

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  16. I'm with you...love and live as best as we can!
    The Red Cross is such an amazing organization. I've worked with them, and for them, and I can't say enough about the good that they do.
    Thanks for the text info!

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  17. thank you for this post. so great. xoxo.

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  18. Thank you for posting about this. It is truly devastating news to us all. I am helping the best way I can by donating to a few organizations for their relief. Much love to you! xxoo

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  19. lovely post kim...we definitely need to support each other especially in times like this. i plan to donate but i wish i could do more.

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