Japan Disaster – How to help

It’s pretty bad. How can we help? We’ve listed our preferred charities and aid organisations, people finders for victims/survivors of the Japan disaster, and ways to raise money. If you have suggestions, please let us know & we will share them with other mooks!

The Japan Disaster is precisely that. We’re all no doubt feeling horrified and powerless – so how can we help? Japan has always given to disasters in the past, and now it’s our turn. Money, money, money. Unless we’re in a position to go out there and help (unlikely) it’s all about the money and financial aid. We can either give money, or – if we haven’t any – we can come up with ways to invite the people we know to give money.

Here is the Mookychick guide to helping out. If you have a good suggestion, please do let us know – and we will share it with other mooks out there!

Japan Disaster – How to help by giving money

Doctors Without Borders

Doctors Without Borders (Medecins sans frontiers) is one of our favourite charitable organisations, because they’re always on the case and they spend donations wisely. They have a knack of getting properly involved in even the most politically/naturally impossible to reach disaster areas. Doctors Without Borders is staffed by doctors and journalists. They run mobile clinics and conduct needs assessments, and are funded by donations. Donate at their site. You can feel safe your money will be spent well and not get into the wrong hands.

Disaster relief on Facebook

Facebook have created a global disaster relief page that givs you info on a number of organisations you can donate to. Anyone who uses Zynga, for example, can buy virtual goods in CityVille, FrontierVille, FarmVille etc. with the proceeds going to the Save the Children’s Japan Earthquake Tsunami Emergency Fund.

Shelterbox

Shelterbox.org is a really good organisation to give money to because it’s already doing work in Japan. It’s a disaster relief organisation that specialise in providing things you need to survive in a disaster – tents, cooking equipment, things like that.

Charity Navigator

Charity Navigator is AWESOME. You can use it to give your money straight to charities that are ALREADY doing work in Japan – which obviously means your money goes further and has a better chance of getting to where it’s needed most as soon as possible. They have a list of relief effort charities that is constantly updated. One of the great things about Charity Navigator is it gives a lot of detail as to the work that each charity is focusing on, so you have a good idea where your donation goes.

Global Giving

Global Giving have set up a project dedicated to the Japan Disasteer. They will decide where your donation goes. What we like about it is that you have the option of naming your financial gift donation in honour of someone. This may be something you particularly want to do.

Lady Gaga prayer bracelet

Lady Gaga has always struck us here at Mooky Towers as being someone who is genuinely aware of people other than herself. You can buy a “We Pray For Japan” wristband designed by Lady Gaga for $5. Proceeds go to tsunami relief efforts. Sadly, we can’t tell you precisely where the money goes.

Calling all artists – Creative Fundraiser

Artists (hobbyists or otherwise) can donate postcard sized work based on the theme of the RED CROSS which will be sold at a Nottingham fundraising event with bands and more.

Run For Japan – Red Cross

Run for Japan is bringing together the global running community and showing solidarity and support through dedicating runs around the World to the people of Japan.Get involved and collect donations through sponsored runs.

Japan Disaster – How to help by collecting money

Not everyone has money to give. You may be hampered by the lack of a credit card, which makes super-fast donations so, so much easier. That’s fine – perhaps you can think of ways to unite the people you know and encourage them to give the donation you know you’re not currently able to give yourself? One can but try!

Work / College / School: Create a Japan Disaster Lunch Relief Day

Suggest that everyone come in wearing red in honour of Japan, bringing a packed lunch or food to share. All money that would have been spent on your packed lunch is collected to donate to the Japan Disaster organisation of your choice.

Bake sale

The great thing about a bake sale (with proceeds going to the relief organisation of your choice) is that you can bake a few things to sell really, really fast. You can do it in an evening. That means you can start collecting donations the very next day. This is wonderful, because Japan needs financial aid really, really fast. It’s lost untold billions, and it needs that money to repair itself as a country. It’s strange to think that your lovely cakes can help Japan rebuild itself… but true.

Donations in a cup…

If you work in any kind of service area (shop, pub…) ask your boss (unless you are the boss!) if it is alright to collect donations in a cup. Be sure you know where the donations will be going to if any customrers ask. If you’re in an office, create a donation box (as always, check with them at the top first) and send round an email…

Make pins/badges/things in exchange for donations

We are open to suggestions, dear mooks! Perhaps you could cut white cotton into strips, paint a red sun on each, and encourage people to buy your strips for £2 to wear as an armband of honour? Perhaps you can order some blank badges and make your own disaster relief designs to sell for donations…? Perhaps you can stencil a beautiful Japan-inspired DIY design and sell cards…? We leave it to you.

We hope our little list of ways to help the Japan Disaster will prove of some small help to you out there. If you feel others might benefit, please pass this on.

And, most importantly, if you have a suggestion, tell us! We will be really grateful to hear your thoughts and share.

With love from us all at Mooky Towers xxx

Japan Disaster – More info

Google Person Finder

For those with friends and relatives in Japan, Google has set up a Person Finder for anyone who is looking for someone in Japan – or who knows where someone is and wants to set other minds at rest.