This post is very different from anything else you will see in Photographer's Diary. Due to the urgency of the situation in Japan, I hope you will read this in its entirety.
The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, one of the world's most respected Buddhist disaster relief organizations, is rushing blankets and rice directly to disaster victims in Japan.
Tzu Chi has a sterling record of making certain donations go directly to relief efforts. Their work in Haiti during the 2010 earthquake is but one example of their effectiveness. For a progress report on Tzu Chi's efforts in Japan:
If you would like to give a donation to the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation's efforts in Japan, please go to their website:
http://www.us.tzuchi.org/usa/home.nsf/other/donateCharity
More About Tzu Chi:
The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, whose name means "compassion and relief," is an international humanitarian organization with a special consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Founded by Dharma Master Cheng Yen in 1966, the group has nearly 10 million volunteers and supporters in 50 countries and has provided aid in 70 countries. Tzu Chi's work spans the fields of charity, medicine, education, environmental protection and disaster relief. It also established what is now the world's third largest bone marrow donor registry, and promotes humanistic values and community volunteerism. In 1984, Tzu Chi Foundation registered as a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization in California. In 1989, the first office in the U.S. was established in Alhambra, California. Since then, more than 80 offices and facilities have been established with over 120,000 volunteers and supporters working to make a difference in their local communities. For more information about Tzu Chi USA, please visit http://www.us.tzuchi.org/
Thank you very much for your compassionate consideration. ~bb