Reports on Disaster Recovery Volunteer Project

Jul 7, 2021

Celebrate the 10th year of hope in TOHOKU

We hope you and your loved ones are as safe and well as can be and that you are filled with hope as more and more people are able to get their Covid vaccinations.

We are forever grateful for all your generous donations and encouragement.

It is very hard to believe that it has been ten years since the devastating 9.0 earthquake and tsunami ravished the Tohoku Coastline in Japan — tragically killing more than 18,000 people and displacing nearly 500,000 people. Several thousand people remain unaccounted for and tens of thousands of people have not returned home. While many infrastructure reconstruction projects have been completed, far less was invested in helping people rebuild their lives and heal. There’s still so much to be done and acts of kindness and volunteerism still go a long way in Tohoku.

Earlier this year, a 7.1 earthquake struck the Tohoku region, an aftershock from the 2011 earthquake. Fortunately this time there was no tsunami and there were few fatalities, although approximately 50 people were injured. Our friends and partners in Tohoku must have been quite scared by this strong aftershock. It is a reminder of the fragility of life as we know it and has motivated us even more to continue our Natural Disaster Recovery Projects.

You have helped us assure many people in Tohoku that they have not been forgotten as they continue to overcome daily challenges in further rebuilding their lives. Recovery and rebuilding take many years. Some are still living in what was originally intended to be temporary housing and there are still significant housing, infrastructure, labor and other shortages in the region. In addition, with the passage of time, the occurrence of devastating natural disasters in other parts of Japan (including the recent mudslide in Atami), the focus on the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics and continued concerns regarding the coronavirus and the Delta Variant, the number of volunteers going to and the amount of charitable donations being made for Tohoku continue to drop. Residents in Tokyo and neighboring prefectures are still urged not to travel, and Japan’s Covid vaccination program is still getting underway with approximately 13% of the nation’s population now vaccinated.

Labor shortages throughout Japan coupled with the coronavirus continue to make it very hard for local farmers in Tohoku to run their farms and in turn to further rebuild their lives. Many of the local

farms are family run with one, two or three family members doing all the work themselves. Growing and harvesting rice, vegetables and fruit sufficient enough to earn a modest livelihood and to repay the significant debts they incurred after the earthquake and tsunami are very labor intensive and the local farmers cannot do all the work by themselves. They need the continued support of volunteers.

The local farmers always ask us to convey to everyone who supports our volunteer activities in Tohoku just how much they appreciate all the support. What Hands On Tokyo volunteers are able to accomplish in a single day would take the local farmers and their families many days to complete.

Since our last report, we had hoped to resume bringing to Tohoku for volunteering groups of children and their caregivers from different Tokyo Area children’s homes. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus, we have had to further postpone these trips and we are still looking for the time when we can safely reschedule these trips.

These volunteer trips are very impactful on the children and their caregivers. For the children who are the beneficiaries of volunteer activities at their children’s homes, these volunteer trips are an opportunity to experience volunteering themselves, to gain new experiences and life skills, and to gain further self confidence. These experiences will help them throughout their lives. The children deeply appreciate the opportunity and are still benefiting from all that they have learned and experienced. They and their caretakers keep sending us wonderful feedback. Many want to volunteer again and they have encouraged others in their group homes to volunteer in the future. These volunteer trips are also an important opportunity for the caretakers to better understand each child’s fullest potential. We are deeply committed to continuing to organize these volunteer trips for children and their caregivers in Tokyo Area children’s homes.

Since our last report, we have been further raising funds for these volunteer trips and we have been in regular communication with our partners in Tohoku and at the Tokyo Area children’s homes. And we have been closely monitoring developments in Tohoku and Tokyo concerning the coronavirus.

We also have started planning a remembrance concert — with music, poetry and art — to be held in Ishinomaki (in Miyagi Prefecture) next March. This concert will not be a fund raising event. It will be an event for the Ishinomaki community commemorating those who tragically lost their lives in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami and celebrating the resilience of all those who survived.

Ishinomaki was one of the areas in Tohoku most severely impacted by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. A 33 foot wall of water traveled more than three miles inland leveling 80% of the homes and destroying many other buildings. Now ten years later Ishinomaki is still rebuilding.

There is still so much to be done and there are still many people in need of continued encouragement and support in Tohoku. With your generous support, we will continue to organize volunteer trips to help — and volunteer projects in Tokyo to support and encourage — farmers and others in Tohoku as they continue to work hard to further rebuild their lives.

Thank you very much in advance for your continued generosity, for touching the hearts and souls of so many people in Tohoku and for helping provide these life changing volunteer opportunities to so many children living in Tokyo Area children’s homes. Slowly but steadily the road to recovery and pathways to future wellbeing are being paved.

Please stay safe!

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Mar 10, 2021

10th Year and Still Striving, but with Hope in Tohoku

By Jay Ponazecki - Project Leader

We hope you and your loved ones are as safe and well as can be during these challenging times and that you are filled with hope with the arrival of spring. We are forever grateful for all your generous donations and encouragement.

It is very hard to believe that it has been ten years since the devastating 9.0 earthquake and tsunami ravished the Tohoku Coastline in Japan — tragically killing more than 18,000 people and displacing nearly 500,000 people. Several thousand people remain unaccounted for and tens of thousands of people have not returned home. While many infrastructure reconstruction projects have been completed, far less was invested in helping people rebuild their lives and heal. There’s still so much to be done and acts of kindness and volunteerism still go a long way in Tohoku.

Just last month, in the late evening while people were sleeping or getting ready for bed, a 7.1 earthquake struck the Tohoku region, an aftershock from the 2011 earthquake. Fortunately this time there was no tsunami and there were few fatalities, although approximately 50 people were injured. Our friends and partners in Tohoku must have been scared by this strong aftershock. It is a reminder of the fragility of life as we know it and has motivated us even more to continue our Natural Disaster Recovery Projects.

You have helped us assure many people in Tohoku that they have not been forgotten as they continue to overcome daily challenges in further rebuilding their lives. Recovery and rebuilding take many years. Some are still living in what was originally intended to be temporary housing and there are still significant housing, infrastructure, labor and other shortages in the region. In addition, with the passage of time, the occurrence of devastating natural disasters in other parts of Japan and now concerns and regarding the coronavirus, the number of volunteers going to and the amount of charitable donations being made for Tohoku continue to drop. States of emergency are still in effect urging residents in Tokyo and neighboring prefectures not to travel, and Japan’s Covid vaccination program is just getting underway.

Labor shortages throughout Japan coupled with the coronavirus continue to make it very hard for local farmers in Tohoku to run their farms and in turn to further rebuild their lives. Many of the local farms are family run with one, two or three family members doing all the work themselves. Growing and harvesting rice, vegetables and fruit sufficient enough to earn a modest livelihood and to repay the significant debts they incurred after the earthquake and tsunami are very labor intensive and the local farmers cannot do all the work by themselves. They need the continued support of volunteers.

The local farmers always ask us to convey to everyone who supports our volunteer activities in Tohoku just how much they appreciate all the support. What Hands On Tokyo volunteers are able to accomplish in a single day would take the local farmers and their families many days to complete.

Since our last report, we had hoped to resume bringing to Tohoku for volunteering groups of children and their caregivers from different Tokyo Area children’s homes. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus, we have had to further postpone these trips and we are still looking for the time when we can safely reschedule these trips.

These volunteer trips are very impactful on the children and their caregivers. For the children who are the beneficiaries of volunteer activities at their children’s homes, these volunteer trips are an opportunity to experience volunteering themselves, to gain new experiences and life skills, and to gain further self confidence. These experiences will help them throughout their lives. The children deeply appreciate the opportunity and are still benefiting from all that they have learned and experienced. They and their caretakers keep sending us wonderful feedback. Many want to volunteer again and they have encouraged others in their group homes to volunteer in the future. These volunteer trips are also an important opportunity for the caretakers to better understand each child’s fullest potential. We are deeply committed to continuing to organize these volunteer trips for children and their caregivers in Tokyo Area children’s homes.

Since our last report, we have been further raising funds for these volunteer trips and we have been in regular communication with our partners in Tohoku and at the Tokyo Area children’s homes. And we have been closely monitoring developments in Tohoku and Tokyo concerning the coronavirus.

We also organized volunteer holiday projects at three of the Tokyo Area children’s homes in support of Tohoku. We provided the children’s homes with arts and crafts supplies and holiday decorations so the children could create “thinking of you” holiday messages which we delivered with holiday sweets to local farmers, the Ogatsu Rose Garden and others in Tohoku just before the year end holidays. These projects further ignited the spirit of volunteerism among the children and reminded them of the importance of thinking of others in need of support. These projects also encouraged local people in Tohoku who may have been feeling forgotten and alone while attention has shifted to other challenges. And they help maintain the warm connection between the Tokyo Area children’s homes and Tohoku. Saito-san and his wife, farmers in Yamamoto-cho (in Miyagi Prefecture) whom we have assisted on many of these volunteer trips), kindly sent vegetables from their farm for the children.

We also have been finding further ways for volunteers to support Tohoku while staying at home. For example, we organized the gathering PPEs (Personal Protection Equipment) like face masks for children and hand sanitizer and delivered them to the Fuji Kindergarten in Yamamoto-cho.

There is still so much to be done and there are still many people in need of encouragement and support in Tohoku. With your generous support, we will continue to organize volunteer trips to help — and volunteer projects in Tokyo to support and encourage — farmers and others in Tohoku as they continue to work hard to further rebuild their lives.

Thank you very much in advance for your continued generosity, for touching the hearts and souls of so many people in Tohoku and for helping provide these life changing volunteer opportunities to so many children living in Tokyo Area children’s homes. Slowly but steadily the road to recovery and pathways to future wellbeing are being paved.

Please stay safe!

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Nov 10, 2020

Our Volunteering to Revitalize Tohoku is Still Active!

By Jay Ponazecki - Project Leader

We hope you and your loved ones are as well as can be during these challenging times. With the Thanksgiving holidays on the horizon, we are very thankful for all your generous donations so far this year.

It is hard to believe that it has been nearly ten years since the devastating earthquake and tsunami along the Tohoku Coastline in Japan. You have helped us assure many people in Tohoku that they have not been forgotten as they continue to overcome daily challenges in further rebuilding their lives. Recovery and rebuilding take many years. Some are still living in what was originally intended to be temporary housing and there are still significant housing, infrastructure, labor and other shortages in the region. In addition, with the passage of time, the occurrence of devastating natural disasters in other parts of Japan and now concerns regarding the coronavirus, the number of volunteers going to and the amount of charitable donations being made for Tohoku continue to drop.

Labor shortages throughout Japan coupled with the coronavirus continue to make it very hard for local farmers in Tohoku to run their farms and in turn to further rebuild their lives. Many of the local farms are family run with one, two or three family members doing all the work themselves. Growing and harvesting rice, vegetables and fruit sufficient enough to earn a modest livelihood and to repay the significant debts they incurred after the earthquake and tsunami is very labor intensive and the local farmers cannot do all the work by themselves. They need the continued support of volunteers.

The local farmers always ask us to convey to everyone who supports our volunteer activities in Tohoku just how much they appreciate all the support. What Hands On Tokyo volunteers are able to accomplish in a single day would take the local farmers and their families many days to complete.

Since our last report, we had hoped to resume bringing to Tohoku for volunteering many groups of children and their caregivers from different Tokyo Area children’s homes. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus, we have had to further postpone these trips and are still looking for the time when we can safely reschedule these volunteer trips.

These volunteer trips are very impactful on the children and their caregivers. For the children who are the beneficiaries of volunteer activities at their children’s homes, these volunteer trips are an opportunity to experience volunteering themselves, to gain new experiences and life skills, and to gain further self confidence. These experiences will help them throughout their lives. The children greatly appreciate the opportunity and are still benefiting from all that they learned and experienced. They and their caretakers keep sending us wonderful feedback. Many want to volunteer again and they have encouraged others in their group homes to volunteer in the future. These volunteer trips are also an important opportunity for the caretakers to better understand each child’s fullest potential. We are deeply committed to continuing to organize these volunteer trips for children and their caregivers in Tokyo Area children’s homes as well as for students at Tokyo Area international schools.

Since our last report, we have been further raising funds for these volunteer trips and we have been in regular communication with our partners in Tohoku and at the Tokyo Area children’s homes and international schools. And we have been closely monitoring developments in Tohoku and Tokyo concerning the coronavirus.

We also are now working on volunteer holiday projects at Tokyo Area children’s homes in support of Tohoku. We have provided the children’s homes with arts and crafts supplies and holiday decorations so the children can create “thinking of you” holiday messages which we will deliver to local farmers, nursing homes, school children and others in Tohoku just before the year end holidays. These projects will further ignite the spirit of volunteerism among the children and remind them of the importance of thinking of others in need of support. These projects will also encourage local people in Tohoku who may be feeling forgotten and alone while attention has shifted to other challenges. And they will help maintain the warm connection between the Tokyo Area children’s homes and Tohoku.

We also have been finding ways for volunteers to support Tohoku and the Tokyo Area children’s homes while staying at home. For example, we held a drive to collect face masks and asked volunteers to make other PPEs (Personal Protection Equipment) like protective gowns. And we have been delivering these face masks and PPEs to children’s homes and others in need.

There is still so much to be done and there are still many people in need of encouragement and support in Tohoku. With your generous support, we will continue to organize volunteer trips to help farmers and others in Tohoku as they continue to work hard to further rebuild their lives.

Thank you very much in advance for your continued generosity, for touching the hearts and souls of so many people in Tohoku and for helping provide these life changing volunteer opportunities to so many children living in children’s homes, and to other children living, in the Greater Tokyo Area.

Slowly but steadily the road to recovery and the pathway for the future wellbeing of the next generation are being paved.

Please stay safe and well.

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Jul 14, 2020

Disaster Recovery Volunteer Project

By Jay Ponazecki - Project Leader

We hope you and your loved ones are as well and safe as can be during these challenging times. Everyone has been adjusting to a new environment shaped by the coronavirus. At such a time, we are very grateful for your generous donations so far this year.

It is hard to believe that it has been nearly ten years since the devastating earthquake and tsunami along the Tohoku Coastline in Japan. You have helped us assure many people in Tohoku that they have not been forgotten as they continue to overcome daily challenges in further rebuilding their lives. Recovery and rebuilding take many years. Some are still living in what was originally intended to be temporary housing and there are still significant housing, infrastructure, labor and other shortages in the region. In addition, with the passage of time, the occurrence of devastating natural disasters in other parts of Japan and now concerns regarding the coronavirus, the number of volunteers going to and the amount of charitable donations being made for Tohoku continue to drop.

Labor shortages throughout Japan continue to make it very hard for local farmers in Tohoku to run their farms and in turn to further rebuild their lives. Many of the local farms are family run with one, two or three family members doing all the work themselves. Growing and harvesting rice, vegetables and fruit sufficient enough to earn a modest livelihood and to repay the significant debts they incurred after the earthquake and tsunami is very labor intensive and the local farmers cannot do all the work by themselves. They need the continued support of volunteers.

The local farmers always ask us to convey to everyone who supports our volunteer activities in Tohoku just how much they appreciate all the support. What Hands On Tokyo volunteers are able to accomplish in a single day would take the local farmers and their families many days to complete.

Since our last report, we had planned to bring to Tohoku for volunteering many groups of children and their caregivers from different Tokyo Area children’s homes. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus, we have had to postpone these trips and are still looking for the time when we can safely reschedule these volunteer trips.

These volunteer trips are very impactful on the children and their caregivers. For the children who are the beneficiaries of volunteer activities at their children’s homes, these volunteer trips are an opportunity to experience volunteering themselves, to gain new experiences and life skills, and to gain further self confidence. These experiences will help them throughout their lives. The children greatly appreciate the opportunity and are still benefiting from all that they learned and experienced. They and their caretakers keep sending us wonderful feedback. Many want to volunteer again and they have encouraged others in their group homes to volunteer in the future. These volunteer trips are also an important opportunity for the caretakers to better understand each child’s fullest potential. We are deeply committed to continuing to organize these volunteer trips for children and their caregivers in Tokyo Area children’s homes as well as for students at Tokyo Area International Schools.

Since our last report, we have been further raising funds for these volunteer trips and we have been in regular communication with our partners in Tohoku and at the Tokyo Area children’s homes and international schools. And we have been closely monitoring developments in Tohoku and Tokyo concerning the coronavirus.

We also have been finding ways for volunteers to support Tohoku and the Tokyo Area children’s homes while staying at home. For example, we held a drive to collect face masks - including face masks delivered to each household in Japan by the Japanese government - and asked volunteers to make other PPEs (Personal Protection Equipment) like protective gowns. And we have been delivering these face masks and PPEs to children’s homes and others in need.

There is still so much to be done and there are still many people in need of encouragement and support in Tohoku. With your generous support, we will continue to organize volunteer trips to help farmers and others in Tohoku as they continue to work hard to further rebuild their lives.

Thank you very much in advance for your continued generosity, for touching the hearts and souls of so many people in Tohoku and for helping provide these life changing volunteer opportunities to so many children living in children’s homes, and to other children living, in the Greater Tokyo Area.

Slowly but steadily the road to recovery and the pathway for the future wellbeing of the next generation are being paved.

Please stay safe and well.

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Mar 16, 2020

Disaster Recovery Volunteer Project

By Jay Ponazecki - Project Leader

Thank you very much for all your support so far this year. It is hard to believe that it has been nine years since the devastating earthquake and tsunami along the Tohoku Coastline in Japan. You have helped us assure many people in Tohoku that they have not been forgotten as they continue to overcome daily challenges in further rebuilding their lives. Recovery and rebuilding take many years. People are still living in what was originally intended to be temporary housing and there are still significant housing, infrastructure, labor and other shortages in the region. In addition, with the passage of time, the occurrence of devastating natural disasters in other parts of Japan and now concerns regarding the coronavirus, the number of volunteers going to and the amount of charitable donations being made for Tohoku continue to drop. Labor shortages throughout Japan continue to make it very hard for local farmers in Tohoku to run their farms and in turn to further rebuild their lives. Many of the local farms are family run with one, two or three family members doing all the work themselves. Growing and harvesting rice, vegetables and fruit sufficient enough to earn a modest livelihood and to repay the significant debts they incurred after the earthquake and tsunami is very labor intensive and the local farmers cannot do all the work by themselves. They need the continued support of volunteers. The local farmers always ask us to convey to everyone who supports our volunteer activities in Tohoku just how much they appreciate all the support. What Hands On Tokyo volunteers are able to accomplish in a single day would take the local farmers and their families many days to complete. Since our last report, we have taken two groups of volunteers to Tohoku. In early December we took 38 boys and girls and their caregivers from six different Tokyo Area children’s homes, and in mid-December we took 28 boys and girls and their scoutmaster and parents from a Boy Scouts Troop and Girls Patrol at The American School in Japan, to Miyagi Prefecture by bus for two days to volunteer, gain greater confidence and receive natural disaster awareness and preparedness training. Each group helped Saito-san and his wife in Yamamoto-Cho (Miyagi Prefecture) clear an eggplant patch, and the second group also cleared a broccoli patch and removed dead paprika plants and dismantled metal pipes that are used to support the plants as they grow. These activities need to be done after the final harvests and are very labor intensive and important as the land must be cleared of all dead plants and piping before winter. Everyone worked very hard and Saito-san and his wife greatly appreciate all their hard work. It was very impressive to see how much the children accomplished while volunteering. Ogatsu in Miyagi Prefecture was completely devastated by the tsunami and is still far from being ready for reconstruction and redevelopment. A local resident built a Rose Garden near the land where her mother perished in the tsunami to calm the souls of those who perished in the tsunami and so that former residents and visitors can once again see beauty when they first enter Ogatsu. It is also a place where families go to grieve the loss of their loved ones in the tsunami. The garden keeps growing every year and now includes a grove of olive trees and a small cafe selling ice cream and homemade baked goods and herbal drinks. The founder now wants to create jobs at the garden through the olive grove and the cafe so that young people will want to work and live in the Ogatsu Area. The garden cannot be maintained without the support of volunteers. Both groups of children volunteered at the rose garden. The first group weeded and planted tulips. The second group rebuilt the mounds supporting the olive trees which were weakened by the severe typhoon last October, moved olive trees in pots inside a greenhouse for the winter and planted tulips. Both groups also used dried flowers from the rose garden to make colorful bookmarks. The founder of the rose garden wants everyone who volunteers at the rose garden to share the beauty of Ogatsu with others so that more people will visit Ogatsu and so that happy Ogatsu memories can once again be plentiful. The children also received natural disaster awareness and preparedness training. Saito-san shared his experiences during the tsunami and stressed the importance of taking action to protect oneself by going to the nearest highest ground no matter what others may say. The founder of the rose garden also taught the children the importance of knowing where to go in the case of an emergency and to take refuge immediately. These volunteer trips are very impactful on the children and their caregivers. For the children who are the beneficiaries of volunteer activities at their children’s homes, these volunteer trips are an opportunity to experience volunteering themselves, to gain new experiences and life skills, and to gain further self confidence. The children greatly appreciate the opportunity and are still benefiting from all that they learned and experienced. Many want to volunteer again and they have encouraged others in their group homes to volunteer in the future. These volunteer trips are also an important opportunity for the caretakers to better understand each child’s fullest potential. We are deeply committed to continuing to organize these volunteer trips for children and their caregivers in Tokyo Area children’s homes. The members of the Boy Scouts Troop and Girl Patrol also greatly appreciate the experience and they want to volunteer again in Tohoku this year. They also encourage their classmates to volunteer and to be community minded. We are committed to continuing to organize volunteer trips for students at Tokyo Area International schools. There is still so much to be done and there are still many people in need of encouragement and support in Tohoku. With your generous support, we will continue to organize volunteer trips to help farmers and others in Tohoku as they continue to work hard to further rebuild their lives. Thank you very much in advance for your continued generosity, for touching the hearts and souls of so many people in Tohoku and for helping provide these life changing volunteer opportunities to so many children living in children’s homes, and to other children living, in the Greater Tokyo Area. Slowly but steadily the road to recovery is being paved. Got it.Thank you!Here it is.