| It is impossible
not to be gripped by the images streaming into our
homes by television and newspaper of the unfolding
tragedy in the Bay of Bengal and its surrounding
nations. Tens of thousands of individual
people have had their lives changed forever in an
instant, and the search for a return to some kind
of normalcy will take months.
We all feel a need to help.
This week, we are putting aside garment care tips
to focus on getting help to those who have
have lost all. Please use the links contained
in this newsletter to facilitate your own giving
and helping. Thank you!
Our thoughts are with those
whom we have never met, but who desperately need
to know we care.
Jim Nixon |
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Her little girl was late
arriving home from school so the mother began
to scold her daughter, but stopped and asked,
"Why are you so late?"
"I had to help
another girl. She was in trouble," replied the
daughter.
"What did you do
to help her?"
"Oh, I sat down
and helped her cry."
(Anonymous, quoted in The Last
Word by Carolyn Warner.)
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Hands of
Hope Across the Sea
This week, we want
to encourage you to reach out to the people who
have been devastated by the tsunamis and earthquakes in
Asia.
May we suggest that you take any money you would
have saved from a coupon normally in this space and donate
it to the American Red Cross, designating it for disaster
relief.
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Together,
we are a
Wave of Hope.
As the details of
the situation in the Bay of Bengal continue to unfold, it
is easy to become paralyzed by the enormity of the situation.
But, as people have found for thousands of years, the
only thing to do is to start doing SOMETHING -- however
small -- and keep going until the entire job is done.
You are probably wondering how
you can help people half a world away. What can you send?
How can you make a difference? What do they need? Can you
get help there in time?
The
major need right now is money. The major
assistance organizations are gearing up to get supplies
of medical items, food, shelter devices, clothing, water
purification systems and much more to the affected areas.
They are experts in this kind of relief, and know where
to go to get what is needed. Pooling our resources behind
them will make their efforts just that much faster and easier.
Who to
give to/How to give wisely.
- Check out the important tips
available from Charity
Navigator on how to help the tsunami victims.
They include:
- directing
your funds to established charities
(since they are already well into the cycle of getting
aid where it is needed, and know how to do it best);
- designating
your gift to the relief work;
- avoiding
telemarketers, who may try to take advantage of this
outpouring of compassion for their own gain;
and
- researching
your chosen charity. There are outstanding
charities that direct nearly 90% (or more!) of your
donations to actual relief work. There are others that
are not such good stewards of your funds. (Some to consider:
American Red Cross, 91.1%; Mercy Corps, 91.2%; Care,
92%; Samaritan's Purse, 89.1%; Americares, 99%; Direct
Relief International, 99.1%).
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"Some
people give time, some money, some their skills and connections,
some literally give their life's blood... but everyone has
something to give." -- Barbara Bush
If you can't give money, are you
left out of the loop? Absolutely not. There are many facets
to helping out in a disaster like this one. Consider
giving in other ways, as well:
- If
you own a company that can give products or services that
would be helpful, contact the charitable
organization of your choice and let them begin to figure
out how to make use of your gift. Transportation,
warehousing space, people to help put shipments together,
computer skills -- all are needed.
- Volunteer
for your local chapter of a charity that is helping overseas.
This not only gets you involved in the solution, it frees
up others to work on specific projects that are related
to the situation in Asia. Offer to answer phones
and help take down donation information, or to do computer
data entry, or any other project that needs doing.
- Look
for opportunities to help someone who is involved in the
situation there -- even if it's making
phone calls for someone seeking information on a loved
one, or doing internet searches to help people get in
touch with one another. Being available to help
is the first step, and you'll be surprised what will crop
up.
Links
for Giving:
- Amazon.com
-- Yes, you can donate quickly and efficiently through
Amazon to the American Red Cross disaster relief efforts.
As of this writing, over $27
million has been donated through this venue, by nearly
50,000 people. Go check out the
page, and hit Refresh a couple of times to see the total
grow. It will encourage you to join in!
- Care
-- A well-known organization that already has staff in
the area. Read their first-hand accounts.
- American
Red Cross -- well-known and respected, the Red Cross
is hurrying supplies and personnel to the disaster site.
- Samaritan's
Purse -- another organization that has been active
in relief work all over the globe, and which has been
in Asia for many years.
- CNN.com
has a list of organizations with links to each.
Thank
you for caring.
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Pressing
News is a weekly newsletter published by
The Cleaners (dba Nu-Way Cleaners
and Foothills Cleaners). The newsletter provides information on
garment care and restoration along with other information
and discount coupons. Visit our web site at www.thecleaners.net
for more
information about our company and the locations of our stores.
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