Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief: How to Help

President Obama spoke this afternoon about the crisis in Japan. He recommended the public visit the following web site for more information on the Japan earthquake and tsunami, and how to help:

http://www.usaid.gov/

I visited the web site and read again what I’ve been hearing the last few days, from places like CharityNavigator.org:

It’s better to send cash, not goods!

So much going on for me the last few days, but I managed to write this article published today on Associated Content from Yahoo, about ways to help with Japan tsunami relief. I’d like to share it on the blog. Follow the link below for the full article that gives tips for making donations and a list of recognized charities helping with Japan earthquake and tsunami relief.

Japan Tsunami Relief: How You Can Help by Allison West, Yahoo Contributor Network

Published March 17, 2011 on Associated Content from Yahoo

Since the Japanese earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, donations for tsunami relief have totaled about 64 million dollars. So far, this figure is less than one-third of the dollar amount donated after the Haiti earthquake. Why have donations for Japan tsunami relief lagged behind money raised for other recent disasters? Blame it on a dismal economy, burnout from being asked for donations in the wake of disasters, or the perception of Japan as a wealthy, industrialized nation; but whatever the cause, the public has been slower to respond with donations for Japan tsunami relief.

Japan is in crisis, the scope of the disaster is mind boggling, and the country remains in desperate need of emergency relief. There are ways to reach out and contribute money to the cause while ensuring that your donations go directly to help those suffering in Japan. Here’s how you can help with Japan tsunami relief. Read more...