LifeNets and United Church of God
Help Japanese Earthquake Victims
Written June 15, 2011 by Yumi Yamamoto
Iwaki City in Fukushima Prefecture used to be a very beautiful and wonderful area in northern Japan. It has a rocky long beach with abundant fish and deep green mountains where birds never stop singing. It used to be one of the most popular and attractive sightseeing places in Japan, until March 11, 2011.
 Yukari Meeting discussing how to help. Eyeglasses are being divided up for distribution |
On that day a series of big earthquakes seriously damaged the area, and because the city is located along the beach, many houses and people were also attacked by the tsunami. The city is south of the Fukushima Nuclear Plant, and some parts of the city are within 30 kilometers from the plant (30 km is about 20 miles and it is the area where Japanese government forbids people to enter due to the risk of nuclear contamination. It forced those whose houses survived the earthquake and tsunami to leave their towns.
In Iwaki City, there is a volunteer group of which name is Yukari (it means a 'bond' of people). My friends, Dr. Kimura (ophthalmologist) and Ms. Sato (nurse at Dr. Kimura's clinic) are also members of the group. Yukari had been established about two years before after a symposium for supporting visually handicapped people and now it consists of 21 volunteer members. Their activities had been mainly to support visually handicapped people to live more happily and independently. An example of their activities was arranging regular picnics for sightseeing with volunteer 'visual' guides that included high school students. They also held making-up lectures for visually handicapped women with the support of Shiseido cosmetic company.
 Mr. Abe |
 Ms. Hashimoto |
After the disaster, their activities extended further. They visited people who were victims of the earthquake or tsunami. They checked for survivors and supported them generally. They knew two visually handicapped people who had lost everything in the disaster. Both of them have been suffering from glaucoma for a long time.
Mr. Abe was attacked by the tsunami after the earthquake. He and his wife had been struggling to survive in the muddy stream until they were finally rescued. He lost his house and everything. His daughter's family lost everything, too. Now he is living in his son's house in the same city.
Ms. Hashinmoto was quickly taken to a nearby school building on the hill by her son's wife and they were safe when the tsunami hit their house. The school building had been used as a shelter for evacuees, and she and her 8 family members spent more than a month there. Now they have moved to an apartment that the city prepared. Though the city supplied the least equipments at the apartment, it is not enough. They are lacking everyday things such as food, clothes, shoes, fans, kitchen goods, ...
LifeNets gave 100,000 yen (about $1,250) for each of these two people on Wednesday, June 15th. Yukari people organized everything and arranged a ceremony to invite these people with their family. At the ceremony they received the donation and messages from LifeNets, in which written: "Since March 11, even though we are living far away, we have been watching and worrying about what happens with you there in our friend country, Japan. We will be very happy if our prayer and small donation could be some of your help. Though we are far away, please sometimes remember we are always with you and pray for you.
UPDATED July 1, 2011
Here are messages from Mr. Abe and Mrs. Hashimoto, who are visually handicapped, and lost everything by the disaster on March 11th. Below their thanks messages you will find more about what happened.
Mr. Abe wrote;
"I really appreciated for your beautiful message and strong support for what I had to suffer after March 11th. My house and everything were destroyed and gone by the earthquake and the tsunami. Though some of my family members included myself were flown away by a powerful stream of the tsunami, I think it is a consolation that none of us were injured seriously or killed. Now I feel a terror of the natural disaster, and I also feel how happy it is that our family are all safe and can live together. I want to give my heartfelt gratitude for your warm kindness, and say thank you from the bottom of my heart."
 Mr. Abe's House |
 Mr. Abe's Car |
Ms. Hashimoto wrote;
"I was very moved by the warm support from people who are far away in USA. Thank you very much. I also recognize this kindness was brought to me with help of volunteer people around me in Iwaki city, Fukushima, and now my heart is full of thankful feeling for all of you. I will spend the precious money donated from you to buy lost glasses and clothes."
 Mrs. Hashimoto's House |
 Mrs. Hashimoto's Neighborhood |
Japanese Certificate of Appreciation