In a matter of hours, it will be exactly one week since the devastating earthquake struck Japan (Friday, March 11, 2011 at 12:46:23 AM (EST)). In honor of the victims and their families, let's think Japanese and offer whatever we can to help them through this tragedy so that they can emerge strong and resilient.
Each of us has our own way to extend our thoughts to those in need. I have included below a number of ways, including the chant of Nichiren Buddhism (in the spirit of "think Japanese") that has touched my life, as well as a number of practical ways to give.
Thanks to my fellow bloggers, Ethan Siegel at Starts with a Bang and Greg Laden for joining me in this campaign to aid Japan.
Japan Earthquake and Tsunami: How to Help
By THE NEW YORK TIMESUpdated March 12 | For readers interested in contributing to help victims of the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan and the Pacific region, here is a list of contact information and links for some agencies that plan to provide relief. (The New York Times does not certify the charities' fund allocations or administrative costs. More information about giving, for this and other causes, is available online from the GuideStar database on nonprofit agencies and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance.)
Locating Loved Ones
If you are looking for information on people in the quake zone, Google has opened a Person Finder page.
Ushahidi, a crowdsourcing mapping tool, has set up a local platform for Japan that allows people in the area affected by the earthquake to text the location of people who may be trapped in damaged buildings.
Inquiries concerning U.S. citizens living or traveling in Japan should be referred to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services at 1-888-407-4747 or 202 647-5225.
Aid and Charitable Organizations
Each of the following groups have set up fundraising sites specifically for the victims of Friday's earthquake and tsunami.
AMERICAN RED CROSS
Red Cross officials say donors can text REDCROSS to 90999 and a $10 donation will automatically be charged to donor's phone bill, or donations can be made directly on its Web site.
AMERICARES
Information is available on the organization's Web site.
B'NAI B'RITH INTERNATIONALTo help the victims of the Japan earthquake and tsunami, donate online at the group's secure Web site.
Or, by mail to: B'nai B'rith International Disaster Relief Fund, Attn: Japan Earthquake, 2020 K Street, NW, 7th Floor, Washington, D.C., 20006.
Or by phone: 800-573-9057CARE
CARE is one of the world's largest private international humanitarian organizations. Their offices in Asia are on high alert and have ensured that staff are informed of the tsunami warnings and other related developments.
GLOBALGIVING.ORGGlobalGiving is working with International Medical Corps, Save the Children, and other organizations on the ground to disburse funds to organizations providing relief and emergency services to victims of the earthquake and tsunami. Donors can text JAPAN to 50555 to give $10, and larger increments can be submitted on GlobalGiving's Web site.
INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPSInformation is available on the organization's Web site.
LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL
Information is available on the organization's Web site.
THE SALVATION ARMY
The Salvation Army has been providing food and shelter to Tokyo commuters who were stranded when public transportation was interrupted by the earthquake. They are to send a team to Sendai, a city about 250 miles Tokyo, to assess the situation there. Text JAPAN or QUAKE to 80888 to make a $10 donation. (Make sure to respond "YES" to the Thank You message you receive.) Donations can also be made on the organization's Web site or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY.
SAVE THE CHILDREN
To make a donation, visit Save the Children's Web site, call 1-800-728-3843, or text JAPAN to 20222 to donate $10.
SHELTERBOX.ORG
Shelterbox.org is a disaster-relief organization that focuses on providing survival materials such as tents and cooking equipment to families displaced by disasters.
UJA-FEDERATION OF NEW YORKInformation is available on the organization's Web site or by calling (212) 836-1486.
If you are a scientist or engineer, consider "On-Call Scientists" to donate your knowledge and skills, coordinated the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
If you would like to extend your thoughts one week after the disaster, you can find the exact time below.
NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 05:46:23 (UTC) - Coordinated Universal Time
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 02:46:23 PM - Local Time at Epicenter
North America::
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 02:16:23 AM (NST) - Newfoundland Standard (St. John's)
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 01:46:23 AM (AST) - Atlantic Standard (Halifax, San Juan)
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 12:46:23 AM (EST) - Eastern Standard (New York, Toronto, Jamaica)
Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 11:46:23 PM (CST) - Central Standard (Chicago, Mexico City, Costa Rica)
Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 10:46:23 PM (MST) - Mountain Standard (Calgary, Denver, Phoenix)
Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 09:46:23 PM (PST) - Pacific Standard (Vancouver, Los Angeles, Tijuana)
Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 08:46:23 PM - Anchorage
Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 07:46:23 PM - Adak
Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 07:46:23 PM - Honolulu
South America::
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 12:46:23 AM - Bogota, Quito, Lima
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 01:16:23 AM - Caracas
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 01:46:23 AM - Manaus, La Paz
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 02:46:23 AM - Belem, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 03:46:23 AM - Montevideo
Europe::
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 05:46:23 AM - London, Lisbon
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 06:46:23 AM - Madrid, Rome, Berlin, Warsaw
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 07:46:23 AM - Kiev, Istanbul, Athens
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 08:46:23 AM - Moscow, Saint Petersburg
Africa::
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 05:46:23 AM - Casablanca, Abidjan
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 06:46:23 AM - Algiers, Lagos, Kinshasa
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 07:46:23 AM - Cairo, Lusaka, Cape Town
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 08:46:23 AM - Addis Ababa, Nairobi
Asia::
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 07:46:23 AM - Anakara, Damascus
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 08:46:23 AM - Baghdad, Riyadh, Samara
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 09:16:23 AM - Tehran, Mashhad
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 09:46:23 AM - Baku, Tbilisi, Muscat
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 10:16:23 AM - Kabul
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 10:46:23 AM - Yekaterinburg, Tashkent, Karachi
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 11:16:23 AM - Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 11:46:23 AM - Novosibirsk, Almaty, Dhaka
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 12:46:23 PM - Krasnoyarsk, Bangkok, Jakarta
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 01:46:23 PM - Irkutsk, Beijing, Manilla, Singapore
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 02:46:23 PM - Chita, Seoul, Tokyo
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 03:46:23 PM - Vladivostok, Guam
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 04:46:23 PM - Magadan, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy
Australasia/Oceania::
Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 06:46:23 PM - American Samoa
Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 07:46:23 PM - Tahiti
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 01:46:23 PM - Perth
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 03:16:23 PM - Darwin
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 03:46:23 PM - Port Moresby, Brisbane
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 04:16:23 PM - Adelaide
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 04:46:23 PM - Sydney, Melbourne, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 05:46:23 PM - Fiji
Friday, March 11, 2011 at 06:46:23 PM - Auckland, Christchurch
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