Things you can do to help Japan Disaster Relief as a blogger and reader

On Friday, Mar 11, an earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale struck off the coast of Japan, bringing down towns and triggering a 30-foot tsunami in what is recorded as the worst earthquake in Japan’s history. While the official death toll currently stands at 1,700, more than 10,000 people are lost, and feared dead. Scores of people have been displaced, families split and homes flattened as raging waves washed over the coast and fires ravage some areas. Rescuers still hear the cries of victims buried under rubble.

We can do something as a blogger to drive people to help Japan and the victims. Sitting here and feeling terrible, and sorry won't help the situation gets better. You can make a difference, and drive others to do so too.

1. Give and drive others to give! 
Donate to Groupon Malaysia's Red Crescent/Red Cross Relief Fund which in turn will be REMATCHED again. 

Highlights of Groupon Malaysia's Red Crescent Relief Fund:

• All donations will be matched Ringgit-for-Ringgit up to the total donated value of RM25,000.
• Eg: For every RM3 you donate, Groupon Malaysia will match it by donating an additional RM3, and a total of RM6 will go to the Japanese Red Cross Society.
• 100% of your donation will go to the Japanese Red Cross through the Malaysian Red Crescent Society.
• The first 1,000 donations will receive a RM2 Groupon token in return.

You may also donate directly to the Red Cross via Google’s Crisis Relief page. 


2. Embed a Hellobar on your site

A hellobar is a thin horizontal bar which comes up at the top of your blog and provides readers with a simple message.  In this case, we’re adapting it to support Japan relief.  It’s eye-catching, yet does not disrupt your theme, and it’s for a good cause.  That’s all the reasons you’ll ever need to install one.

Mashable has an excellent set of simple instructions on how to do this in under 5 minutes.

3.Embed a simple tool to help others to find missing people in Japan.


Basic communications are down, so Google has put together a Person Finder tool where anyone worried about the their loved ones can look them up by name, and others can submit information as well.  In short, it’s an adhoc database to connect people.

If you do not have a blog, people with facebook or twitter also could help to spread the words and get people into action, not just watch in horror as events continue to unfold. 


"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."  ~Winston Churchill

"Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light."  ~Norman B. Rice

"We can do no great things, only small things with great love."  ~Mother Teresa