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[Grace act.] Volunteer activities to support the Noto Peninsula earthquake
I, NAO, have volunteered in Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture. I hope this will be helpful for those who wish to support the area in the future.
Currently, the three organizations, Sosei Nanao, Noto Rune, and Kumamoto Support Team, are working together to provide disaster relief, based at Patria in Nanao City (a facility that aims to revitalize the city center, create a lively atmosphere in front of Nanao Station, and ensure the safety and security of residents in the event of a disaster).
Nanao City suffered heavy damage and water outages remain, but traffic has largely recovered with no congestion or jams.
▲ It was snowing that day.
I received information about the support activities from Kyoko Nitta of the Kumamoto Support Team, who is a friend of NAO and a Nao Lingerie lover, and participated.
▲Surrounding Kyoko
The volunteer work on the day was sorting supplies. Many supplies had arrived from all over the country, and we worked with all our hearts, hoping that everyone's feelings would reach those affected by the disaster.
We would like to share here what we felt was important and what we learned while sorting the items, for those who are considering sending supplies in the future or who will be volunteering in the affected areas.
・Sending supplies needed locally
Before sending, be sure to check the supplies that are needed at that time and decide what to send. Also, if you select the supplies you send with the following points in mind, the chances of them reaching those affected will be increased.
*As the supplies needed change daily, we strongly recommend that you check the latest information on the website of the organization you are sending to.
・Sorting small items other than those on the supply list takes a lot of time.
Some supplies contained small items that were not on the list of necessary supplies. To sort these items, new, specialized cardboard boxes would have to be made, or they would be unable to be sorted due to circumstances and would have to be put into an unsorted box, which would take a lot of time and cut into the time available to sort the necessary supplies.
- Products that have passed their expiration date must be discarded.
Many of the foods were past their expiration date, and all of them were to be discarded.
・Refrigerated items cannot be accepted
In some areas, refrigerators cannot be used due to power outages, etc. It would be ideal if we could work with the food distribution team, but in many cases we are unable to provide the food immediately. As a general rule, we cannot accept refrigerated items.
・Items that have been opened
The system is set up so that the disaster victims themselves, or the people who deliver the supplies, can choose what they need as needed. As you can imagine psychologically, opened items are often avoided and tend to end up left over. In particular, unopened sanitary products, diapers, and food are most appreciated.
For these reasons, the items you send should be unopened, and if it is food, it should have a long expiration date. If it is clothing, it should not be worn out, but should be clean and have been thoroughly washed or dry-cleaned, or new.
We recommend that you send items that are needed on the list of necessary supplies, not items that you no longer need at home.
Through an introduction from a friend of Kyoko Nitta's (Tomo-san), we were connected to the president of Sosei Nanao, who has agreed to lend us Patria, our base, for the long term as a base for our support activities. We would like to express our respect to President Yoshida for providing us with the space, and to all the volunteers who are at the heart of the team and working every day.
▲Tomo-san. Tomo-san is also a Nao Lingerie Lover. I was very surprised to meet her again by chance. There is nothing more heartwarming than being connected by feelings for someone other than yourself.
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Please see below for the latest information.
★Kumamoto Support Team
★Sosei Nanao
★Noto Rune
Finally, I happened to meet two people during the lunch break. They were from Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, and Kaga, Ishikawa Prefecture. They met in the Boy Scouts, and after learning they could volunteer here, they got in touch and met again at Patria for the first time in 10 years.
Everyone there connected through social media and made a promise to help each other if a disaster occurs anywhere in the world where anyone lives.
I realized how important it is for such bonds to be fostered across the country, and I was determined to continue my activities, even if it is just a little at a time, both as an individual and as part of an organization (TPP http://www.takepeaceproject.jp ).
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Grace Act.