USAID provides this link for locating appropriate aid agencies to donate to. In disasters such as these the best support you can provide is cash donations to a reputable aid organization. This allows them to buy the supplies and pay the staff they need to get the work done.
Interaction Members in Support of Japanese Earthquake Response
And while the devastation in Japan is overwhelming, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the ongoing emergency in Libya. You can find information on donating to Libya relief as well as to other needs here:
ReliefWeb
Both of the above sites are provided by referals through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) a federal agency which takes the lead in providing outreach on behalf of the U.S. Government. The United States has long been an extraordinarily generous donor both publicly and privately to global need.
Even if you are prompted to donate (like I was) by a large disaster, remember that the best donations you can provide are "Where the need is greatest" rather than earmarking your donation for a specific emergency. For the record I made my donation to the American Red Cross which works closely with Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations globally to respond to emergencies.
I'm not going to turn this blog permanently into what it's not. This will be my last post here on this subject.
But in the midst of our wealth and prosperity, sufficient to allow us the luxuries of playing with plastic toys and pretending it's "serious business," it wouldn't hurt to donate "a blister" (or more) of funding towards a something a bit more serious.
Thanks for bearing with me. My prayers are with the people of Japan, Libya, and the countless other places in the world suffering for a myriad of reasons that the global media do not deem notable enough to make it to the nightly news.
