How You Can Help Japan

Hello ladies and gentlemen of the Mikeonomist. I'm going to start off today with a different article. As you probably all know, the situation in Japan has gotten worse than we originally thought. the death toll is estimated to be in the tens of thousands, and over 20,000 are still reported missing. The devastating earthquake and tsunami have left entire towns and cities in ruins, and food and gas have become increasingly scarce in many areas of the country.

As if that wasn't enough to deal with, the nine nuclear power plants that are scattered around the island are in danger of melting down. Two of the plants have already experienced hydrogen explosions, and nuclear officials from the United States and Japan are desperately trying to keep the core rods from being exposed. Officials are warning that it may only be a matter of time before one or more of these reactors has a complete meltdown, making large areas of Japan uninhabitable. This means there will be even more people out of homes and left with nothing.

I want to ask the readers of the Mikeonomist to show their support to the Japanese people. Whether it be your time, money, or just your prayers, now is the time to show our support for these great people. I myself have made a few donations the past two days, and will continue to look for new ways to help the disaster relief. If you are looking for places to donate, organizations like the Red Cross and the Salvation Army are always good, but I've found a few other organizations with a more focused cause, where even a small donation can go a long way:

Mercy Corps: The Mercy Corps is focusing all of its efforts on getting vital supplies (food, water, shelter, etc) and shipping them in by helicopter to the Japanese people. So far they have done excellent work:
https://www.mercycorps.org/donate/japan?source=55400&gclid=CJDtk6HL0KcCFQhy5QodmWo7Ew

World Vision: I really like World Vision because their main focus is on children and families who are affected by the disaster. In addition to supplies, World Vision also has men and women on the ground in the disaster areas, helping children find their families or taking care of them if they have nobody to go to. I have a major soft spot for kids, so knowing my money is going towards helping children is definitely a good thing:
http://www.worldvision.org/worldvision/eappeal.nsf/donation-item?Open&amt=50&num=371&campaign=113655219&cmp=KNC-113655219

I sincerely hope you decide to make a donation, however small it may be. Or at least take the time to pray for the Japanese people, because now more than ever they need the support of the international community.