Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunamis

From our Motiv8ing Ideas Archive

Sometimes we find ourselves struck by events that put our own lives into perspective.
One such event is the devastating earthquake and tsunamis that hit the Indian Ocean region just after Christmas.

As individuals, how can we help the countries, communities and families that have been ravaged by the quake, the waves, and their aftermath?

• Thank you for donating money to the appeal run by the Disasters Emergency Committee. This will continue to help to get food, water, shelter, medical and other desperately-needed basic supplies as quickly as possible to the right places.
  (The Disasters Emergency Committee - DEC - is an umbrella group of aid agencies which launches and co-ordinates the UK's National Appeal in response to major disasters overseas. Member agencies include WorldVision, Tearfund, Save the Children, Oxfam, Merlin, Help the Aged, Concern, Christian Aid, Care, CAFOD, British Red Cross, and ActionAid.)
  Your donation continues to help save lives and rebuild communities.
  
• Please continue to pray for the countries, communities, families and individual cases that you see mentioned on television, in newspapers and on the internet.
  Pray that help and relief continues to reach these people, and that they will be able to continue rebuilding their lives and their communities.
  "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of." (Alfred Tennyson)
  
• Please personally volunteer, if you can, to do something in 2005 that will contribute to the rebuilding effort.
  How? Take the initiative and do something within your local community, or become a volunteer with Oxfam or Tearfund or another organisation that is focused on helping the rebuilding efforts in the Indian Ocean region.
  
• Please encourage others to do all of the above.
  The unprecedented response by individuals, and local, national and international organisations and government bodies, will continue to facilitate the recovery process.

"If not me, then who?
If not now, then when?"
Paraphrase of an ancient Jewish teaching