Isn't ours wonderful. There aren't words big enough to describe the earthquake, tsunami and loss of life in Japan, but if you need something to give you hope when the images from the news won't leave your head, let me help.
With times as tight as they are here and the economy in a snail's pace recovery, the local community is reaching deeper into their already empty pockets to give what they can today to the Red Cross, thanks to a disaster relief drive organized by Fisher Communications and KOMO 4. They made it so easy, with many different ways to give ~ donation drop stations, call in phone centers, and online options through many sites. I stopped at Uwajimaya in Bellevue today where they had one of their donation sites located, and at 10:00 this morning Elisa Jaffe from KOMO 4 news (at least I think it was her ~ people look so different in person!) told me that they had already collected $36,000 at the phone center alone. By the time I got home this evening, the tally was over $180,000 and from the sounds of it, much of what was donated had yet to be counted, and there were still a few hours left of today's fundraiser.
This is what one community, in one day, on short notice can do when called upon. For that I feel hope for the first time this week that things will be okay. Do what you can. It will make a difference and you'll have the added benefit of knowing that you did a good, good thing. ~ Melissa
Thank you Melissa!
ReplyDeleteMorgan ~ I worry when I share things like this that I may come off sounding preachy ~ I hope I didn't. I do think that just as some things are better left unsaid, there are things that are also worth saying.
ReplyDeleteI heard on the radio this evening that the tally is now over $411,000 (that will buy alot of blankets and food and water) and they had yet to count the online donations. The money is barely a scratch when compared to the enormous loss of property but aside from that, the helplessness felt by those affected can't even be quantified. I can't even imagine....