Standing ready with relief organizations in Japan

Three days have passed since Japan endured the largest earthquake in its recorded history — an event so immense that it widened Japan by 13 feet, shifted Earth’s figure axis by six inches, and generated a devastating tsunami.

The scale of the destruction continues to defy description. Entire port cities have been destroyed, and estimates of the dead and missing now number in the tens of thousands. 

International aid organizations are largely in standby mode as the Japanese government has so far requested major assistance only from other governments. As one reporter for Sky News put it, “The international rescue teams are raring to go, but of course they’ve got to go where the Japanese want them to go.”

While these exceptional organizations wait, we wait with them. As of last night, the generous humanist members and supporters of Foundation Beyond Belief have contributed over $5,000 to our relief fund for Japan, and donations continue to pour in. 

Our hope is to disburse those funds very soon. But first we must know that any organization we fund will have an actual presence in this relief effort. And so, along with the organizations themselves, we wait. The need for help, unfortunately, will not go away for a very long time.

If you have not yet had a chance to donate to the fund, you can click on the orange ChipIn button in the right sidebar. 

Deepest thanks for your patience, and most of all for your compassionate support for the people of Japan. 

The FBB Team 

P.S. Unable to see the ChipIn widget? Go directly to the ChipIn page.