Local YMCAs Send Help To Japan

With tens of thousands of people still displaced by the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, relief services and NGOs are struggling to help people find shelter, food and guidance.

One such organization is the YMCA. Currently, YMCAs in Sendai and Morioka are housing victims of the disaster and providing information and support to children, the elderly and the disabled. Some of that support simply involves providing kids with a way to go outside and act like kids, which, in the wake of a life-changing event like last month’s disaster, can prove difficult. You can read some of those stories by clicking here.

Seattle-area YMCAs, including the Dale Turner YMCA in Shoreline, have raised more than $22,000 to help the Japanese YMCAs cope with a huge influx of victims. The Seattle branch of the YMCA has had a relationship with one in Kobe, Japan, for more than 45 years, with more than 500 staff members moving between Seattle and Japan, according to International Development Director Monica Kusakabe.

“They are just struggling right now,” Kusakabe said. “We have a lot of kindergartens and buildings being used for shelter.”

Kusakabe said Japanese YMCAs still need financial help, and people are encouraged to donate through their local branch. For more information on how to donate, click here.

Overall, United States YMCAs have raised approximately $150,000.