How, what and where to send donations
SAN BRUNO— An outpour of donations and support for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda that hit the Philippines last Nov. 8 are continuously going on the Bay Area, especially from local Filipino organizations. Fundraising events are being organized, and most people believe that recovery from this kind of calamity will be a long and slow process.
Representatives from the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) took to the streets last Nov. 11 to raise money, standing near the Powell St. cable car turnaround. In an interview with CBS San Francisco, Princess Bustos, a volunteer with NAFCON said, “There are a lot of us who lost loved ones or whose friends are missing. Being out here today is a great way for us to put all the energy, the anxiety, the stress, the fear, the anguish of loss into something positive.”
Another organization, the West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service Center in San Francisco, has also been doing their share. In a phone interview with Asian Journal, the organization’s director, Rudy Asercion, said that the will be accepting donations from 10am to 10pm until Nov. 20. Aside from cash donations online and from people who just walk in their office, the organization will send balikbayan boxes filled with immediate necessities.
“We will be using our own funds to send these boxes,” he said and added, “We are sending first aid kits, flashlights, personal hygiene supplies, which will be received by two of our staff who are already in Manila.” He also explained that all these donations will be directly distributed via their humanitarian mission, and will not be coursed through any other agency.
Project PEARLS, a Peninsula-based non-profit, was able to raised more than $1,600 and packed 47 boxes with donated goods over the weekend.
Just last Nov. 11, the Fil-Am community banded together at Fort McKinley Restaurant in South San Francisco. Their group, called Rise Up Philippines is composed of community, political and business leaders in the Bay Area not only aims to address the immediate, short term needs of the victims, but the long term as well.
“Folks in the calamity areas desperately need basic necessities immediately – water, food and shelter,” wrote Al Perez, San Francisco Entertainment Commissioner and President of the Filipino American Arts Exposition. He, along with others, spearheaded the campaign to help the victims of Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda.
Perez also said that they are recommending that people make cash donations to vetted non-profits “who already have boots on the ground.” Two of the organizations he gave were One World Institute (www.TheOneWorldInstitute.org) and Feed The Hungry-Philippines (www.FeedTheHungryPhil.org).
He also is discouraging people from sending canned goods, used clothes and medicines because of the logistical problems. To date, even though a lot of in kind donations have arrived in the Philippines, majority of these have not been distributed because of blocked debris on roads to the areas that most need them.
As part of their short term plans, Rise Up Philippines have talked to local event organizers and producers to have fundraising drives in their upcoming events.
“We are also planning to organize a mega (star-studded) Concert sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas at a large venue in SF or Bay Area,” said Perez and added, “Many of us — event producers and community organizers — are sharing our time, efforts and resources towards this one big event for an opportunity to raise even more funds towards the relief efforts.”
Their first fundraising event is on Nov. 14, at 5pm until midnight at Tselogs Tapas Café in Daly City. For more information on their other events, log on to www.facebook.com/pages/Rise-Up-Philippines-Bay-Area/532148963536419?ref=br_tf.
