# TSUNAMI/EARTHQUAKE RELIEF - GROUP DONATION?



## Guest (Dec 30, 2004)

This may be a completely hairbrained idea, but it's not it will be my first or anything...........
Talked with a cousin of mine this morning, who happened to be near Djakarta when the big quake happened. Aside from hearing about all the damage caused by the earthquake itself, let alone the tsunamis - I am moved by suffering on such a massive scale. Being DP, this doesn't happen to me very often. When I hear about disasters on the news or something, it just sort of goes right on by me, as if it's not real. 
Hearing Mike cry from thousands of miles away made it more real.

So, the hairbrained idea: I figure the only thing I can do to help is donate money, which I will do. My choice would be Mercy Corps or Northwest Medical Teams, based on what I understand about how the money would be used. This place has PayPal abilities. Is there any interest here in making a group donation of some kind, under the name of DPSelfHelp? 
I understand people here like anywhere else are in different socio-economic brackets. The good thing about PayPal is that, as far as the group goes anyway - it's anonymous. Oh, and Rev - if you read this: is it even possible? I know we accept donations for the site, but can that somehow be separated from a group donation for another cause?

Anyway, just an idea. I'm putting it in the main section so it will get more views.


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## sebastian (Aug 11, 2004)

I'm down with it.


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## Axel19 (Aug 11, 2004)

Count me in


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## Dreamer (Aug 9, 2004)

I'm with it too.

Interesting, at Amazon.com as soon as you log on there The Red Cross logo is right there. Amazon will take any donation and 100% goes to the tsunami victims. I figure if every person even donated $10.00 it could make a huge difference.

I'd also gather at The Red Cross website... I'd gather it's http://www.redcross.org but I haven't looked would also take donations online.

This is truly a horrendous thing. Astounding.

I'm in.

Glad you posted this SC.

Best,
D


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## Dreamer (Aug 9, 2004)

P.S.

Agreed since everyone has differing ability to contribute any sum can help. I have to run but I'll look up The Red Cross and

*SC what is the website URL to the organization you mentioned?*

And glad you're cousin is AOK.


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## Dreamer (Aug 9, 2004)

*International Committe of The Red Cross*

http://www.icrc.org/ Choose your preferred language.

http://www.icrc.org/eng (English Site)

Full description of activites related to the Asian disaster. Contributions can be made online. The site is in multiple languages.


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## Axel19 (Aug 11, 2004)

This 'Group Donation' is a really great idea actually (my God did I just write that without sarcasm). I mean it also kinda' helps us be more normal. Of course it's about the victims of the tsunami, but a bunch of indifferent space cadets who don't fit in with the rest of the world, organising such a donation is splendid.


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## Dreamer (Aug 9, 2004)

This is pretty amazing. I just went ahead and contributed at amazon.com

It seems VERY safe, and I think the minumum contribution is $5.00. You get an immediate email receipt and of course any donation is tax deductible -- DO IT BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, BOTH FOR THE VICTIMS AND IF YOU WANT A 2004 TAX DEDUCTION. You do need a credit card. AMEX accepted as well as the other standard cards.

Statistics so far...

*Total US Dollars Collected: $5,635,933.57 :!: 
Total # of Payments: 89,763*

I'd say go ahead and contribute right now any way that's easiest. If we can get a group thing going here that would be excellent as well.... through SC's site?


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## Guest (Dec 30, 2004)

I started this post mostly as an idea for us to do something...together. Maybe bring us closer together as a group. Individual contributions to the entity of your choice is great too. For those that don't have the extra cash, I'm a firm believer in positive energy. Maybe just point some good thoughts towards the affected areas. Can't hurt anyway.

My little site can't accept money. And I don't even know if there's any way to accept it here. Investigating that now...........
Anyway, I just thought it would be cool to have DPSelfHelp listed somewhere as a donating group, and to give the members something to rally around.


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## Revelation_old (Aug 9, 2004)

I recommend people donate through http://www.amazon.com . I could set up an account for this but Amazon is the best method in my opinion.


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## Dreamer (Aug 9, 2004)

Excellent Rev,
*See the link Rev has put at the top of the forum!!!!!*

You're cool, dude 8)


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## Dreamer (Aug 9, 2004)

> My little site can't accept money. And I don't even know if there's any way to accept it here. Investigating that now...........
> Anyway, I just thought it would be cool to have DPSelfHelp listed somewhere as a donating group, and to give the members something to rally around.


SC I meant that other site you mentioned initially. Can you post that URL. Anyone who contribues over $250.00 through amazon gets recognized by the Red Cross.

It would be cool to do a group thing. Meantime let's do whatever we can.

I also highly recommend the amazon site. It was easy as pie, and it's a very secure website for transactions.

And yes, good vibes and prayers -- however one "connects" is valuable as well.

Peace,
D


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## Guest (Dec 31, 2004)

what the people in the affected areas need is Food,Water and shelter not money.... They need help like equipment, clothing, and supplies. Money isn't really gonna do anything.


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## Guest (Dec 31, 2004)

I dont have a credit card and got hardly any money, but will find some and donate to the dutch funds.
Nice idea sc.


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## Guest (Dec 31, 2004)

Money is the only thing of value we can contribute. If I thought it would help, I'd put a stamp on a loave of bread and mail it to Sri Lanka. For now though, money buys water, food, medicine, building supplies, etc. In this case, money buys time for these people, and hope.

I have donated to the following:

Mercy Corps - http://www.mercycorps.org/
Northwest Medical Teams - http://www.nwmti.org/


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## sleepingbeauty (Aug 18, 2004)

Johnny_Utah said:


> what the people in the affected areas need is Food,Water and shelter not money.... They need help like equipment, clothing, and supplies. Money isn't really gonna do anything.


the cost to ship bulk items would be much more than to just send money. they have enough stuff already in areas north so they dont need us to send whats in our cupboards. only money can do the most good because money will get those things to them. it would be hard to send my box of tampons over there. much more efficiant to add monies to the pot.

donate :wink:

another misconception is that there are tons of orphans that need adoption so that we westerners can give them a better life. WRONG!!! the last thing these kids need is to be uprooted from their homeland and thrust into a totally foreign environment after this trauma. let their countrymen take care of them cause contrary to popular WESTERN belief they are more than capable. they just need money, to help feed these kids, get them medicines and help them recconnect with their extended families. there are alot of orphaned parents as well. 1/4th of the total lives lost were that of children. there are alot of parents already there that can adopt these kids. they speak their language and they have that connection of loss and tragedy. they can help each other. they will be fine as long as they have the means to. they have all lost their homes and all their possessions as well. they need housing and all their infastructure put back into place. they need our help. SO....

DONATE! :wink:


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## g-funk (Aug 20, 2004)

The footage makes you want to go there and do something. The best we can do is give them our cash though.


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## Guest (Dec 31, 2004)

About the whole adoption thing... ur rite. But i still dont think theres enough food water and shelter


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## Dreamer (Aug 9, 2004)

LOL, Sleepingbeauty, but thou speakest the truth...



> it would be hard to send my box of tampons over there. much more efficiant to add monies to the pot.
> donate


Johnny,
As SleepingB said supplies of all sorts, and that includes water, food, medicine, basic staples of life, exist on the continent inland from the shoreline communities where the damage occurred ... the entire infrastructure in those areas have to be reconstructed from the ground up and that can't happen in a day.

Many hospitals were wiped out. There will have to be individuals hired (and some will volunteer) to help with reconstruction. Such people are in those areas or are en route. I'd gather airports in some areas are unusable or have very limited use right now, I don't know.

Also, the governments of many countries, as well as the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations are most well-equipped to deal with the logistics of all of this. They will know how many helicopters, trucks, medics, troops for law-enforcement, food/water supply vehicles, etc., etc., etc. are needed and where.

Governments are contributing tangible things such as manpower, machinery, transport vehicles etc., these things have to be paid for, and it is more efficient to get this in motion by assisting those with expertise in disaster relief.

Sleeping summed it up. Governmental contributions will cover certain immediate tangible needs, and our personal contributions will help pick up the slack or hasten these efforts.

It's all we can do.

My thought is, when 9/11 hit the U.S. I was truly in shock. It was horrifying, and far fewer people died and there was far less damage. And one person dying is one too many.

As I always say, we live in a global economy, we are more and more one world. Other countries were kind enough, generous enough to help US out, I see it as merely returning that generosity. We all depend on each other, whether we like it or not, or whether we believe it or not.

At uni, some fellow students made a great animated short film called, "Our House Has No Door" -- that house is the Earth. We're all in this together.

I hope I never need the assistance of The Red Cross, but I am happy to contribute to their organization, because.... you never know....

Peace,
Dreamer


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## sleepingbeauty (Aug 18, 2004)

the information thats coming in hour after hour is unbelievable. now they are saying that entire towns with up to 10,000 residents were 'WIPED OFF THE MAP... INCINERATED'. and these towns have yet to recieve any sort of help or body count because they are inaccessable. first they were saying that maybe 1/4 of the people in these farming communities were feared dead.. then it went up to half. now they are saying there are NO SURVIVORS if any. entire communities VANISHED! washed into a watery grave. the tapes that we have seen so far show just resort and similar communities far from the epicenter. these villages were right next to it... so the ones that survived the 5 minuite 9.0 earthquake (terrifying enough) had to face down a wave the size of a mountian. 9/11 was horrible and i cried my eyes out for days. but this disaster is so shocking in its scale that i cant cry. i havent shed one tear because of the shock of it all. its just too much.


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## Guest (Dec 31, 2004)

Money donations also support the local economies of these countries and the dollar goes far.


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## gem (Aug 10, 2004)

I stood in front of my television and watched in disbelief at what happaned. It was truly heartbreaking to see the pain and suffering of our fellow man. What a horrible thing to go through, the lives lost, so many one cannot count. I donated to my local red cross in my area. I cannot imagine what these people feel like, there would be no words in the english language that could describe the devastation of this. My heart goes out to them. Life is so precious, so truly precious.

gem.


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## Axel19 (Aug 11, 2004)

Just donated to 'nwmti' on sc's recomendation. Just saying so you guys can get an idea of how much we are donating on this site. So please if you've donated please let us know, it's just nice to know that as a bunch of, often, self cntered dp'ers we can make a difference to those who probably do suffer more than us.


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## g-funk (Aug 20, 2004)

?15 to unicef. The stores in town give you the option to round up what you put on your card with purchases. good idea. will hopefully donate more.


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## Guest (Dec 31, 2004)

Thank Axel  The reason I mentioned that organization is because I know a little about it, including one of the doctors involved - my own. 
It is a zero overhead group, meaning every cent donated goes directly to the cause. In this case, they are sending out five teams of five people (to start with), along with loads and loads of medical supplies. Their goal, along with many other organizations like theirs, it to help stabilize the situation - treat injured people of coure, but also to help prevent the spread of disease. Even this small first effort from NWMT will have enough water purification tablets to ensure something like 200,000 clean glasses of water.

I hope this post hasn't made anyone feel pressured. It started as a thought to do something as a group. I realize not everyone has extra money laying around. And like I said before, I honestly do believe in the power of positive energy. 
Maybe if those who can donate do, and the rest send positive thoughts, as a group - we CAN help.


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## sleepingbeauty (Aug 18, 2004)

i dont have very much money since i dont work. im on disability about $600 a month which is barely enough to pay my bills. so all i can donate is $20. small but its something. in the time it took to process my payment.. about 2 mins.. the total amount donated there went up 3 grand!!! thats so cool. thats like.. 1000 boxes of tampons YAYYYYY!!!!


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## Guest (Jan 1, 2005)

Good idea Sc. I suggested in "that's Life" that people here not just talk about it but do something.

I have already donated to OXFAM here in Oz.(I think they are international)
The morning TV programs put up all of the phone numbers every morning.

The Red Cross is fantastic.As I understand it they mostly concentrate on medical supplies and help with health issues.
If the survivors don't get medical help soon,many more people will die from disease.

Most of the major banks here are taking donations on behalf of certain charities,they will not be charging the charity any fees.

Dig deep guys.A few dollars can go a long way.


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## Guest (Jan 1, 2005)

apparently the outpouring of support has been so great, and the transportation network so messed up, the supplies are piling up in warehouses, airplane hangers, everywhere but where it needs to be.

New request: everybody send positive thoughts about getting all this stuff to the people who actually need it. Think "helicopters."


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## terri* (Aug 17, 2004)

Just to say I went to the top of the Forum and clicked RedCross and did the credit card deal. Very easy if anyone wonders. I only wish I had tons more to send. 

Positive thinking going on here.

terri*


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## bat (Aug 18, 2004)

just a comment n the orphan adopting thing. i'm not looking to adopt (maybe foster a bit in long term) but my uncle emigrated to canada when young and adopted a vietnamise 'war baby'. she's called Leona, has a 'natural' american dad and vietnamise mum who she doean't know. she has always been loved and felt secure. she has twins now and lives on vancouver? island.
i think america/canada/western world has alot to offer if the right people are involved


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## sleepingbeauty (Aug 18, 2004)

youre right pdr.  adopting orphaned babies from other countries is a wonderful thing. i think about it alot ever since i saw a cambodian baby a lady friend of mine adopted. i cant even discribe how amazing this kid was. he had so much radiance coming out of him. he looked at me with these huge coal eyes that seemed to look right through my soul i just cried and cried i couldnt help it. right then i knew i wanted to adopt someday.

orphaned children are another matter though and much more complicated. especially after traumatic events where their homes and families have been washed away. this is not coming from my own head i just want to make that totally clear. even the state department thinks so.

* May take months to identify children truly orphaned 
Dateline: December 31, 2004
In response to many inquiries from concerned Americans, the U.S. Department of State has stated that it will not be possible for U.S. citizens to adopt children who have been orphaned by the tsunami that struck parts of South Asia.

According to the State Department, the international standard in a crisis is to keep children as close to their family members as possible. It can be extremely difficult to determine whether children whose parents are missing are truly orphans. In the current situation, many children have become separated from one or both of their parents. Even when children are indeed orphaned, they are often taken in by other relatives. Staying with relatives in extended family units is generally a better solution than uprooting the child completely.

The State Department believes that it will take many months before the situation in those countries affected by the tsunami stabilizes to the point where the countries will be able to identify the children who are legitimate orphans. It is only if and when these countries decide to make these orphans available for international adoption that American citizens will be able to begin adoption proceedings for these children.

Americans who wish to contribute to ongoing relief efforts in response to the tsunami may obtain further information at http://www.usaid.gov or from the Center for Disaster Information (CIDI) at 703-276-1914. 
*


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## Guest (Jan 2, 2005)

Sleepy's right,
they keep telling us here that it's money they need from us the most.

It's way too difficult as Dreamer said to organise the shipment of individual
gifts such as food,clothing etc.

I heard the Thai prime minister say that they don't even need more helpers except for trained medical people of which 90 doctors and nurses left from Oz today.

I saw this brave guy interviewed tonight who had been volunteering by diving in the waters of a major Thai hotel car park looking for bodies.
They suspect dozens of bodies are in the flooded car park.
After finding several bodies he said he had to finally stop because the water was too conteminated.
It looked nothing short of lethal.
What a hero.
After what he's witnessed,I doubt if he will ever be the same again.

It's truly uplifting to see people be so selfless.


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## terri* (Aug 17, 2004)

Shelly, I must say I agree and was drawn to your use of the word selfless. For me it's shows something other than grand ego to think of someone other then self. To have the capacity to realize there are other things that are in the universe then ourselves, and our little 2 foot comfort zone, shows how self-assured one is within themselves. To be able to sacrafice self for love of humanity is selfless.

Some may call the man an idiot. I imagine those same people would be called self-absorbed.

Thanks for reminding me of the word selfless. So often all we see or come in contact with is selfish.

terri*


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## Guest (Jan 2, 2005)

It is a good word,Terri 

Our friend Dr Phil lol said "we can either be a taker or a giver"

Even though it sounds a bit simplistic I think if anything positive at all is possible to come out of this tsunami disaster it could be that many people will have an opportunity to be givers.


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