Supporting those in need in Japan
The devastating March 11th earthquake and following tsunami in Japan have created a tragedy of unimaginable proportions. The north-east coast of Japan’s main island Honshu suffered the full impact of Friday’s tsunami. Reports from Japan say upward of half a million people have lost their homes in the disaster and it is feared that tens of thousands could have lost their lives.
Japan is the birthplace for the silver metal clay that I use extensively in my jewelry and is home to two of the largest manufactures of metal clay in the world. Metal clay artists and organizations around the world have been looking at ways that we might help those who have lost so much and it is our hope to provide some small measure of hope to the disaster relief program.
I have been a member of the Metal Clay Gallery Group on Yahoo for years. We are one of the largest online groups of international metal clay artists anywhere. Our members are some of the most caring and giving people I know. Through this group we have chosen SHELTERBOX.ORG to pool our contributions on behalf of the global metal clay community.
What is SHELTERBOX.ORG? They are a highly respected international disaster relief charity based in Cornwall, UK. They deliver emergency shelter, warmth and dignity to people affected by disaster worldwide. Its approach to disaster relief is to "deliver the essentials a family needs to survive in the immediate aftermath of a disaster." SHELTERBOX provides the essential resources necessary for daily living and are tailored to the relief needs of a particular disaster. Boxes typically contain: a disaster relief tent for extended family, blankets, water storage, purification equipment, cooking utensils, stove, basic tool kit and many other vital items. These boxes give hope to those in desperate need.
There are many organizations around the world that are providing help, SHELTERBOX is just one way that you can help those in Japan who have lost so much - in many cases, everything - as a result of this horrific disaster.
To learn more about SHELTERBOX and the wonderful work they do and how they are helping those in Japan, please check out their website at: http://www.shelterboxusa.org
