Brief Speech by Dr Brendan Gomez, Grassroots Project Coordinator
Dear Friends,
We want to thank each and everyone that have helped in these past few days with life-saving efforts 1-Blanket 4-Japan.
This has been an unprecedented grassroots humanitarian feat, for in just days – together – we have collected 4000 over blankets and boxes of new clothes to be airlifted to Tokyo!
Today in Sendai, common people like you and me, have lost their homes, their jobs, their belongings, and many have lost their loved ones……parents have lost children……children have lost parents……parents have lost their parents.
Attached is a photo of a 17-year old girl that has personally kept me going these past 2 weeks. If anyone was to ask me why I committed every hour to this project, it is because of her.
If you look closely at this photo, you will see - She lost everything! She kneels and cries alone……surrounded by a devastation unimaginable to us.
I see in her a story of both despair and hope. Despair because she has lost her school, her home, her neighborhood, her brothers and sisters, her parents, her close friends. I cannot imagine being in a place like hers …so saddened, so afraid, so abandoned, so lost, so alone.
Like me, I know your passion to reach out to her and those like her is because you are moved by your humanity – you are moved by compassion and love, for it is in such an hour of human despair, that our hearts are moved to come together – to let her know, that she is NOT ALONE!
On behalf of all volunteers who initiated this project, we would like to thank each of you, and a special appreciation of credit to our wonderful partners who came on board and joined in this grassroots efforts – Rotary International Malaysia, SP Setia, Allied Pickfords, Malaysia Airlines, ARCCADE volunteers, and volunteers who helped in different states,…. celebrities and people in the press who have come out in a strong show of support and compassion.
We also thank many of the sites for kindness shown to Allied Pickford’s professional workers in even giving them meals and drinks during the cross-country collections 2&3 April. Allied Pickford has worked extremely hard non-stop on this effort with us, and they continue to support us even in their office in Tokyo to help with custom clearance. They are currently busy re-packing according to specifications by the airlines and customs.
Rotary clubs and SP Setia sites have been amazing in this cross-country partnership, both where we channeled the public to these sites, and where they initiated donation drives among their teams. Some sites amazed us with the numbers of blankets collected. Some amazed us with the efforts taken in packing, and in sending it to other sites to help collate. The photos (some already uploaded to our sites) speak for themselves. We thank all presidents, committees, staff, and volunteers at every site. Please do send let us know who we should thank at each of the sites, and we will publish this on our website with our appreciation. Email: [email protected]
Thanks to your support, families across Malaysia & Singapore are going to be able to touch lives of families in Sendai. You made it possible because you opened your hearts and cheerfully helped to make the dream of helping a reality.
If you would like to follow 1-Blanket 4-Japan’s progress as donated relief supplies make their way to Tokyo, and then to Sendai, follow us on facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/1Blanket4Japan
Here you will find updates of our operations, photos, latest news on the ground in Sendai, and comments from different volunteers and donors.
Our website as you know is at [email protected]
The Japanese people show resilience that is admirable, and from whom we can learn from. In this hour of need, where freezing temperatures are claiming more fragile lives, your donation of blankets and clothes will keep one more life warm….one more life…alive.
One family in Malaysia – One Blanket – One family in Sendai.
One Can make A Difference.
Thank you.
Dear Friends,
We want to thank each and everyone that have helped in these past few days with life-saving efforts 1-Blanket 4-Japan.
This has been an unprecedented grassroots humanitarian feat, for in just days – together – we have collected 4000 over blankets and boxes of new clothes to be airlifted to Tokyo!
Today in Sendai, common people like you and me, have lost their homes, their jobs, their belongings, and many have lost their loved ones……parents have lost children……children have lost parents……parents have lost their parents.
Attached is a photo of a 17-year old girl that has personally kept me going these past 2 weeks. If anyone was to ask me why I committed every hour to this project, it is because of her.
If you look closely at this photo, you will see - She lost everything! She kneels and cries alone……surrounded by a devastation unimaginable to us.
I see in her a story of both despair and hope. Despair because she has lost her school, her home, her neighborhood, her brothers and sisters, her parents, her close friends. I cannot imagine being in a place like hers …so saddened, so afraid, so abandoned, so lost, so alone.
Like me, I know your passion to reach out to her and those like her is because you are moved by your humanity – you are moved by compassion and love, for it is in such an hour of human despair, that our hearts are moved to come together – to let her know, that she is NOT ALONE!
On behalf of all volunteers who initiated this project, we would like to thank each of you, and a special appreciation of credit to our wonderful partners who came on board and joined in this grassroots efforts – Rotary International Malaysia, SP Setia, Allied Pickfords, Malaysia Airlines, ARCCADE volunteers, and volunteers who helped in different states,…. celebrities and people in the press who have come out in a strong show of support and compassion.
We also thank many of the sites for kindness shown to Allied Pickford’s professional workers in even giving them meals and drinks during the cross-country collections 2&3 April. Allied Pickford has worked extremely hard non-stop on this effort with us, and they continue to support us even in their office in Tokyo to help with custom clearance. They are currently busy re-packing according to specifications by the airlines and customs.
Rotary clubs and SP Setia sites have been amazing in this cross-country partnership, both where we channeled the public to these sites, and where they initiated donation drives among their teams. Some sites amazed us with the numbers of blankets collected. Some amazed us with the efforts taken in packing, and in sending it to other sites to help collate. The photos (some already uploaded to our sites) speak for themselves. We thank all presidents, committees, staff, and volunteers at every site. Please do send let us know who we should thank at each of the sites, and we will publish this on our website with our appreciation. Email: [email protected]
Thanks to your support, families across Malaysia & Singapore are going to be able to touch lives of families in Sendai. You made it possible because you opened your hearts and cheerfully helped to make the dream of helping a reality.
If you would like to follow 1-Blanket 4-Japan’s progress as donated relief supplies make their way to Tokyo, and then to Sendai, follow us on facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/1Blanket4Japan
Here you will find updates of our operations, photos, latest news on the ground in Sendai, and comments from different volunteers and donors.
Our website as you know is at [email protected]
The Japanese people show resilience that is admirable, and from whom we can learn from. In this hour of need, where freezing temperatures are claiming more fragile lives, your donation of blankets and clothes will keep one more life warm….one more life…alive.
One family in Malaysia – One Blanket – One family in Sendai.
One Can make A Difference.
Thank you.