#relief efforts

[z34l0t]

Here’s a list of some of the groups currently collecting donations for those affected by the earthquake. The resources on this list have been given a 90 percent rating or above on Charity Navigator, a charity assessment organization that evaluates non-profits and other charitable institutions.

GlobalGiving has created a Morocco Earthquake Relief Fund and is accepting donations. 

UNICEF has stated that it’s ready to help Moroccans in need and is currently accepting donations.

The Red Cross has launched an emergency appeal and is accepting donations for any with immediate or severe needs.

Doctors Without Borders, a well known non-profit, is reportedly sending medical teams to Morocco.

[sepdet]

(I don't usually break copyright for journalists, who deserve to make a living through their writing the same as other authors, but this paywalled article mentions a few native Hawaiian relief efforts that need funding)

Native Hawaiians organize aid for Maui fire victims as government lags

Reis Thebault, Washington Post [12Aug 2023]

LAHAINA, Hawaii — The boats kept coming. One by one, cruisers and catamarans eased toward the beach in Kahana, a small and tightknit neighborhood just north of Maui’s hardest-hit areas.

Each one was laden with supplies: generators, propane tanks, trash bags full of clothing and ready-to-eat meals. And each one was greeted by two dozen people, the first among them wading waist-deep into the ocean to retrieve provisions from the boat and pass them down the chain, which wound its way to shore.

[Hawaii utility faces scrutiny for not cutting power to reduce fire risks]

The entire operation buzzed with urgent efficiency. But this was not the National Guard, or the Federal Emergency Management Agency, nor state or local government. This was scores of residents, led mostly by native Hawaiians, who had battled immense grief and unreliable communications to coordinate a large-scale disaster relief effort serving everyone in need after Tuesday’s ruinous Maui fire.

And this, a parade of boats that brought desperate locals thousands of pounds of supplies, was one of many.

“There’s no government agency helping us — this is it,” said Jareth Lumlung, a native Hawaiian who helped arrange the de facto donation hub. “This is our home, our community.”

[Live updates on Hawaiian wildfires]

In the days since a ferocious wildfire decimated whole swaths of Maui, including the historic west island town of Lahaina, those who live here have said they’ve received little help from the county and state, small entities which are struggling to respond to an unprecedented calamity.

For people whose cultural traditions have been threatened by American colonization and the state’s embrace of tourism and development, government help was never expected. Instead, the community has relied on itself.

Many, native Hawaiians in particular, see the absence of visible official support as a continuation of long-standing frustrations and pain, which began with the destructive arrival of Europeans and lives on in struggles over water rights.

The displacement of native Hawaiians is a particularly acute concern now, as much of the island has been targeted for gentrification, driving up the costs of living and forcing many native Hawaiians to move to mainland cities like Las Vegas.

[After five hours in ocean, Maui fire survivor is ‘blessed to be alive’]

Government officials have said they were focused on putting out the flames, housing and feeding survivors in evacuation centers outside the burn zone, protecting damaged areas, clearing roads in and around the town and helping to restore essential utilities. Some of the aid is out of reach of survivors, however, because they lack transportation or working phones to alert them about services. In Lahaina, the private efforts have been more visible, survivors said.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) estimated that nearly all of Lahaina had been destroyed. But in Kahana, the town’s spirit remained completely alive.

“If you take away all Hawaiians, there’ll be no more Hawaii,” Lumlung said. “It’ll be just a place. This is what it’s all about right here. We’re all raised the same way; this is something that’s just naturally instilled. You don’t have to be asked to do these things.”

Residents gather at Napili Plaza in Lahaina, Hawaii, to connect to Starlink satellites to contact their loved ones on Friday. (Mengshin Lin for The Washington Post)

The supply boats began arriving on Wednesday, as first responders were still battling the blaze and recovering bodies amid burned-out homes and businesses. Two days later, they hadn’t slowed. On Friday, they began arriving early, and volunteers had tents set up to sort the goods: a pile of men’s pants here, a pyramid of diapers there and vast mounds of bottled water.

“We lost everything. We lost our town,” said Jerica Naki, whose home in Lahaina was destroyed. “That’s why we’re here.”

On this day, the volunteer boats largely came from neighboring islands, Oahu and Molokai, northwest of Maui in the Hawaiian archipelago, traveling far on choppy seas. Naki was helping sort donations and she described an emotional whirlwind, from escaping with nothing to seeing a staggering amount of volunteer support for those who have been displaced like her.

[These maps show where wildfires are burning in Hawaii]

“A lot of us are born and raised here,” Naki said, looking around as the chain of volunteers hauled in boxes of tinned sausage. “There’s a l xd ot of pride in Lahaina, so it hurts, a lot. But this is all we have here now, each other, and we’re making do.”

As the response has worn on, the greatest needs have shifted. There is now plenty of nonperishable food and bottled water. Generators, fuel and Starlink satellite internet systems would be most useful, volunteers say.

Sheryl Nakanelua knew instinctively where she needed to go when she fled her Lahaina home as flames spread. She made her way to Kahana and set up a tent across from Lumlung’s house, where she’ll stay until her family is let back into her subdivision, one of the few that was spared.

“This is our family place, it’s home,” she said of the Kahana neighborhood. “This is the best part to be at. It’s what’s keeping us positive.”

Other such spots have popped up. Napili Plaza, once a destination for groceries, ribs and tattoos, is now a donation drop-off center. And some 100 cars lined up for free gas near the town’s former railroad station. Coordinating the boats and other donation sites is a massive task that involves maddening games of phone tag in a place largely without cell service and requires a relentless dedication and extensive Rolodex.

Residents like Zane Schweitzer have both. Schweitzer, whose family has lived around Lahaina for generations, has spent nearly every hour of the last 48 working his walkie-talkie and phone, frantically arranging aid from around Maui, Hawaii and the mainland. Working with the Oahu-based youth nonprofit Na Kama Kai, he helped coordinate one of Friday’s largest deliveries.

Officials said most of Lahaina, the historic town in West Maui, was destroyed when hurricane winds pushed fires to the coast.

On the south side of Lahaina, in Olowalu, Eddy and Sam Garcia are transforming their groundbreaking sustainable farm into a shelter for those who have lost their homes. The married couple, who themselves have lost farmland and fruit crops worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, are setting up temporary housing, a massive solar power system and a satellite internet connection that they’ll open to anyone who needs it.

“In the immediate moment, people need shelter, they need food, they need water, they need a place to get on the internet so they can look for their loved ones,” said Eddy Garcia, who grew up in Lahaina. “We’re shifting all of our attention to trying to feed and house our neighbors.”

The Olowalu farm is uniquely well-prepared to handle this sort of disaster. Run by the Garcias’ nonprofit, Regenerative Education Centers, it was already operating off the grid, with its own power, plumbing and food. The nonprofit has launched a fundraiser to help pay for the fire effort, which will continue as long as there’s a need.

The property, even after being raked by the fire’s severe winds, is verdant and shaded by tall mango trees. On Friday, volunteers and staff readied the farm to fill any needs. They butchered and smoked a wild pig, set up new solar panels and scoured the internet for portable toilets. Eddy Garcia whirred with adrenaline, his satellite-connected cellphone ringing every few minutes with someone offering help.

For locals like him, helping his neighbors is not only about their survival, but about preserving the island’s identity and keeping it livable for those whose families have been here for generations.

“It’s not about these giant hotels on the beach and all the big companies, but trying to take care of local people,” he said. “This is not a visitor’s destination spot, this is the kingdom of Hawaii. That hit the heart of it in Lahaina. It hurts to even talk about it.”

His phone rang again and he stood up to leave.

“I’m like a ball of rubber bands right now,” he said, “and the only thing keeping me going is I got to organize these things.”

——

[More photos and links to the latest news in and after article]

[fandoms-are-my-home]

GOFUNDME FOR EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS IN AFGHANISTAN!

In Herat province a total of 12,110 people were affected by the earthquake, Zindajan district was the epicenter of the disaster & is the worst affected area with 1,320 families affected with 1,294 deaths & 1,688 injured reported, including another 485 people reported missing and almost all houses in the area affected & destroyed. Zindajan district is located 40 km west of Herat city. Unfortunately, six schools were also destroyed and another eight were reported partially damaged by the disaster.

SELDO has distributed relief kits to the villages of Naieb Rafi, Sar boland and Kushk which were most affected by the earthquake and we will cover all the villages which are in dire need of assistance. However, the needs are still immense and urgent. The number of victims is changing every day and many people are still living in temporary shelters without adequate access to water, sanitation, health care and protection. Therefore, we plan to continue our support to earthquake-affected families and to conduct a comprehensive assessment and survey of the causes and humanitarian needs in the area. SELDO will also help rebuild schools, homes, and infrastructure that were damaged or destroyed by the earthquake once the assessment is complete. You can learn more about our work and mission on our SELDO website.

[micahsolusod]

If you're like me and have felt powerless to help in the last several weeks, please consider supporting World Central Kitchen. These brave folks are on the ground supplying food and clean water to those caught in the middle of all this horrible violence.

Here's a quick link to their Middle East relief donation page.

(Photo credit - Chef José Andrés)

[dzgrizzle]

In honor of passing the 700-follower milestone on Bluesky, I've made a donation to the Episcopal Relief & Development Middle East Fund, supporting relief efforts in The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the emergency services of Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza, Saint Luke’s Hospital in Nablus, and Penmen Clinic in Jenin.

[myrddin-wylt]

I’m very tired. you probably heard that Russia destroyed the Kakhovka Dam to slow Ukraine’s counter offensive. here’s something I didn’t quite realize: since this February, the Russians operated the dam in juuuuust the right way so that as much water would build up as possible when the snow melted and spring showers started. and then they blew the whole thing up.

40,000 people may need to be evacuated. I don’t really have the energy to say anything else right now.

Hospitallers Medical Battalion: actual angels can confirm. they’re combat-zone medical services - you know how humanitarian groups like MFS and Red Cross have to pause operations due to the Russians fucking shooting at humanitarian zones? yeah, these guys don’t pause for bullets, they fucking walk into them and they bring out anyone they can.

Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation: you can choose from a number of various fundraiser projects here, if you’re feeling particularly picky. for those of you who balk at the idea of supporting anything military just please remember that things like vehicles and drones aren’t just for military use, they’re also for evacuation and finding the wounded and they’re fucking vital.

KSE Foundation: similar to the above, KSE has multiple projects you can choose from to donate to. looking at it right now, one of the projects with the lowest amounts of money raised thus far - despite being started in April - is Seeds for Ukraine, which will help Ukraine recover from the ecological devastation Russia has been wreaking (and with Ukraine, the countries that rely on Ukraine’s grain exports that Russia keeps trying to steal).

Come Back Alive: do these guys even need the introduction? they’re Come Back Alive. I’m kissing all of them.

United24: Zelenskyy’s brain child, and the official fundraising platform of Ukraine. Mark Hamill recommends the fundraisers for drones in particular.

UAnimals: Nova Kakhovka’s zoo got... pretty much completely swept away. all zoo residents except the birds have drowned. UAnimals has tried throughout the occupation to keep the animals safe, and they’ve been reporting on the status of the zoo. I don’t really know what to say except that I hope they’re able to save the pets and strays in the towns along the river.

You can find NGOs specific to evacuation efforts in this post; please signal boost it as well. I’ve listed them but am leaving the links for the op post.

Ukrainian FireFighters Foundation

Helping To Leave

VOSTOK SOS

[bluespiritshonour]

"Not everything's changed" -Mai, Going Home Again

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“Tilbury To Tilbury One Mobile Kitchen,” Toronto Star. April 22, 1941. Page 10. ---- Ontario Town of 2,000 Presents $990 Gift ----- Ottawa, April 22 (CP) - Sale of scrap materials over a period of a year has enabled Tilbury, Ont., to present Tilbury, Eng., with a $990 mobile kitchen. National Salvage campaign headquarters announced. Tilbury has a population of about 2,000.

[thatscarletflycatcher]

It has probably been said before, but in It's a Wonderful Life, part of George's regret is a sense of guilt about what Mary could have had had she not married him; that she is in it because she loves him so much, and so she endures the life they have. And yet when we get to the reality where George never existed, Mary is a librarian. There's this contrast between the casinos and the cabarets and such (all exploitative and fraudulent ways of preying on desperate poor people) that populate Pottersville, and Mary, in this timeline, choosing the one job that remains a community oriented, free, helpful service. She married George because she loved him, yes, but also because his convictions about doing good for his community were also hers all along, and would have been even if he had not existed. She doesn't endure the life they have out of sheer abnegation, but embraces it out of conviction.

[yukipri]

Only a few hours into 2024 (in my time zone), and Japan has experienced tons of earthquakes followed by the most urgent tsunami warning since 3/11.

I am terrifed.

I hate 2024 already. Please take it back.

For those concerned (and know Japanese), here's the livestream I'm watching. Rn it's essentially, "flee for your lives, while you still can!"

If you for whatever reason are living along the affected areas of the west coast of Japan rn and are bumming on tumblr instead of listening to the news, evacuate, NOW.

[ratwithhands]

Decided to polish some jacket designs!

Emmet originally received a strait from the League after they thought he posed a safety risk to others and mandated him to wear it. Big surprise, they literally just went to a Unovan hospital and asked if they had any of the old jackets lying around. It's ill-fitting and unpleasant, not to mention the hasty edits they made to his uniform to act as a secondary restraint looks awful. As much as he is still operating as usual, having to walk around in the strait is humiliating and dehumanizing, especially because of the stares from other people.

Of course this crime against dignity and fashion had to be corrected, so Elesa called her designers and offered to make the League Council a more appropriate uniform for him. The only rule given was that it must still restrain as well as the original straitjacket, so Elesa ended up modelling the jacket after a vest and the secondary restraint after a double-breasted greatcoat. It's meant to look like clothing, more like everyday wear than something out of an asylum. It also uses hand covers (i.e. socks) instead of a grossly oversized sleeve to keep the hands restrained.

It resolves a lot of the issues Emmet had with the original, namely that it blends in with the crowd rather than making him stick out. It also has an air of professionalism and formality that the original didn't have. He's much more willing to wear it and keep it on, as well as being more comfortable in it.

I'm struggling to describe this in sentences so as for the differences:

League Straitjacket:

actual retired straitjacket from hospital storage

made of old canvas and leather

uses oversized belted sleeves to restrain arms

uses belts and buckles to restrain upper arms and tighten back

can't fit anything thicker than a tank top underneath

Elesa's Modified Straitvest:

bespoke articles custom tailored to Emmet's measurements

made from stiff cotton and fabric staps

uses belted cuffs and hand covers to restrain arms

uses straps and locking slide buckles to restrain upper arms and tighten back

able to fit a collared shirt underneath

Elesa's outfit also has the added bonus of being more breathable, soft, and being able to function as regular clothes.

Anyways bonus sketch comic:

Dignity restored.

[factual-fantasy]

You alive?

Hardly-

Right now I'm knee deep in projects that I'm trying desperately to catch up on :')

3 are private/personal projects that are on a time limit so I'm doing my best to blast through them so I can work on the project that I really want to work on which is Moon Malfunction-

But then another comic project just got added and I usually brush these ones off as I have been doing recently but this one is important and I really wanna do it but I'm so caught up with everything else that I have no energy to work on it and to make things worse its been EXTREMELY hot where I live and I cant handle any level of heat so I'm melting on the couch trying to get these projects done but I have no energy with this heat and I ju

[sparring-spirals]

the more of the actual binx we get to see the more i absolutely fucking adore them. absolutely horrendous at polite small talk. hauling ass from place to place because she doesn't have attendants to send her letters. gives people the most genuine compliments directly paired with being too blunt with them. scrambling from place to place while also trying to manage VARIOUS fires on alternate planes. Doing Her Best With Limited Knowledge And Supplies. Writing letters while sprinting full speed. Squares up with a salt goblin, then gives them a hat, then reveals her greatest secret. Deeply uncomfortable with lying and also Has To Keep One Up, Good Lord This Sucks, but done with so much frenetic energy it somehow works.

IMPECCABLE vibes, hashtag relatable, love them. thank u so much surena.

[myrddin-wylt]

hey, this is... a heads up: if you are currently in the US or are a US citizen, please be Extremely careful if you're donating to help Palestinians in Gaza. because Gaza is currently governed by Hamas, a group designated as a terrorist organization, you can get into serious legal trouble if you are not very, very careful regarding who you send money to. at best, you can get banned from Paypal/Venmo/whatever you're using, and at worst you're looking at a federal prison sentence of up to life in prison.

please donate only to NGOs licensed by the US Treasury Department. DO NOT DONATE TO INDIVIDUAL CROWD FUNDRAISERS.

I know it's shitty and that donating to individual fundraisers usually results in more immediate help for that person, but the feds are dead fucking serious about these kinds of sanctions and you do not want to fuck around with them and find out. OFAC actually published a guide here, and it's surprisingly helpful compared to most government documents.

and please check out BuildPalestine for more specific info, including licensed NGOs.

tldr: being generous is good. going to prison for life because you unknowingly ran afoul of US sanctions is very bad.

[boyfridged]

thinking about steph & jay parallels.

you've heard it all but i'm thinking about robin jay (half) jokingly saying that his calling is to be a medic. i'm thinking about robin steph's righteous anger blended with the need for being seen, about her drive for vengeance.

i'm thinking about steph's "rebirth" as a volunteer in the medical field aiding in humanitarian relief efforts. i'm thinking about post-res jay's international murder spree as an assassin in training, about his righteous anger blended with the need for being seen, about his drive for vengeance.