how you can help

I have had quite a few e-mails from various people from, literally, all over the world, asking how they can help the people of Japan, in this most horrific of disasters.

I want to share with you a few places that I think are great places to donate goods and money.

Second Harvest

This organization has been wonderful in getting supplies out to the areas that need them the most.  Their trucks go out every other day and they have all of their staff working hard to make sure the right stuff is getting out to the people who need it the most.

If you click on that link, you can find a place where you can donate directly to their cause.  The money you give will help pay for the gas used in the delivery trucks, maintenance fees, drivers, etc. 

There is also a place on their site where you can pay for specific items (such as water and diapers).

Here is a list of the things that they are collecting:

* Food & Beverage (MUST be unexpired): rice, canned items, retort-pouch food, food for elderly people, baby formula and baby food

* Items for Baby & Elderly People (MUST be unopened): baby diapers and adult diapers

* Items for Soup Kitchen(MUST be unused): paper plates, paper cups, plastic spoons, plastic forks, chopsticks and saran wraps

* Other (MUST be unused): brand-new underwear, wet wipes, masks, shampoo that does not require water, towel, portable gas stove and portable gas

Socks For Japan

Jason Kelly (a fellow Coloradoan) and his organization are gathering and delivering new socks to the people living in the shelters, especially those nearest the nuclear power plant.  They have delivered hundreds of socks and letters of encouragement from all over the world!!!

  Think about a time when you were cold or tired....just putting on a pair of new, warm socks helps keep not only the body warm, but they help warm the soul and help you feel safe.

If you go to his site, you can read all about what these wonderful people are doing....

maybe they will inspire you to gather up some socks and send them this way.

Yoyo Market

There are seven CostCo warehouses here in Japan, but for many of us, it is too far and too expensive (gas + road tolls add up quickly) and trips to go shopping are few and far between.

Which is why Yoyo Market is a great company.

They, basically, go shopping for us.  Though not everything in the warehouse is available, the main items that most of us expats want are on their site....and we can buy from them, on-line.

Now....Yoyo Market is taking special orders to be delivered to the devastated areas.

But wait....that's not all they are doing....

Yoyo Market will match 10% to any order shipped directly to active relief groups.

Isn't that great??

If you know of a specific relief group (like Second Harvest, for example...and hey...doesn't CostoCo

carry socks?? (^-^)), you can purchase a case of something and have it shipped to them.

Or....if you want another group, the good people at Yoyo will help you find an organization to ship to.

(You can find the details in the Order and Delivery Updates link on their site!!)

Oh! and don't worry about that whole yen/dollar thing...there are many places out there in the wide world of Internet that will very quickly figure that up for you!

Easy peasy.

So.....if you want to help, you can.

If you belong to an organization that donates to good causes, I, personally, cannot think of a better one.