You Can Make a Difference: Helping the Victims of the Philippines Recover from Typhoon Haiyan

When tragedy strikes, whether at home or abroad, it is time for us, as a community, to stand together and help bring relief and comfort to that place in need. Currently, it is the Philippines that needs our help and support.

Many of our staff at CCP live on Long Island and are victims of Hurricane Sandy.  Some of us are still rebuilding our own homes.  Being a part of this process has taught us that the worst possible feeling after the storm has hit is to feel alone with no one giving guidance or providing relief in any form.  Even the basic kindnesses of blankets and fresh water would have been a tremendous relief in those cold dark earliest days and weeks of the storm’s aftermath.  As members of this community, we have an important role to play during this time of disarray and chaos in that we can provide loving thoughts, helpful supplies and needed funds to assist in the rebuilding and recovery of this incredibly strong country. We have the opportunity to make a big difference in peoples’ lives and bring about positive change for people in need.

There are many different ways to get involved in helping the victims of the Philippines recover from this tragedy. Many organizations have stepped up to offer relief in the form of time, money and supplies as donations. A great recourse to receive ideas on ways to help support the relief effort is by visiting whitehouse.gov/typhoon. This is a site that will be working with the Philippines to help provide the victims with the necessary support, supplies and funds that they need in order to begin to recover from the devastation.

People are stepping up to help the victims of this crisis all over the Tri-State Area. Filipino residents of New Jersey have banded together to help the victims in the Philippines and will continue to make efforts towards getting supplies and money to their loved ones overseas. One such organization is the Handang Tumulong Foundation, who says they are in most need of money and are graciously accepting donations. There are also many efforts being put together by members of our local Long Island community as well as across the Tri-State Area. In fact, we are thrilled to have been able to donate to Habitat for Humanity this week, an organization we hold close after seeing first-hand just how much devastation from a natural disaster can affect people’s lives when Hurricane Sandy destroyed our home last year. There are certainly no shortage of ways to get involved in supporting the victims of this crisis.

With crisis comes chaos and in the midst of this chaos support, love and compassion transpires. As much crisis and heartache this typhoon has brought to the Philippines and to people whose family members live in this country, it has also inspired people across the world to step up in their communities to make a difference and lend a helping hand. We want to remind you that every single person can in fact make a difference, and that you have the ability to help people heal and recover from this devastation. We stand with the efforts of our own community and all the businesses across the Tri-State Area that are helping to facilitate relief in the Philippines and provide these victims with access to supplies and donations that will help to advance recovery and normalcy.

How have you contributed to the Haiyan relief efforts? Share your stories with us!