As I reflected in the quietness of my room, many images flashed through my minds; images of babies, smiling children, elderlies and faces … faces whom I do not know and yet they seem to be just like the faces of my friends.

It dawned upon me that these images of babies, they could have been the images of our babies. These images of smiling children could have been my smiling niece and nephews, giggling as they tried to climb up to the lap of their uncle. These images of elderlies could have been our grandparents and parents. Last but not least, these images of familiar faces could have been our best friends, friends and working associates. It could simply be the images of people whom we hold dearly and closely in our heart … it could be images of you and I.

In that moment of quiet reflection, I realised there is no Singaporean, American, British, Indian, Chinese or Japanese etc; there is only human being of one united race on Planet Earth.

Symphony of Love is making a special request from you to continue to send prayer and positive wishes of Loving Kindness and compassionate to our friends in Japan and for those of you who are able to help out financially, below are some ways:

1. Singaporeans may make a cash, cheque or SMS donation to the Singapore Red Cross for victims of this disaster.

For walk-in donations, the Singapore Red Cross is open from 9.30am to 9pm from Mondays to Fridays, and from 9.30am to 6pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

For cheque donations, cheques should be made payable to the “Singapore Red Cross Society”.

Donors may also donate via their mobile phones to 75772. For every SMS, S$50 will be donated to the “Japan Disaster” fund.

2. For American, you can make direct donation to American Red Cross.

Resources related to the crisis in Japan and ways to help, from Google.

From Yahoo

Announcing the Rebuild Haiti Better World Book Drive! Better World Book is running a nation-wide book drive to raise funds for education in Haiti and they need your help to support a long-term effort to rebuild Haiti’s education system. By sending books, you can help fund their Haiti non-profit literacy partner, Plan USA. So dust off those great books you’re never going to read again, and do some good with them…

Ways You Can Help:

1. Send Books. Books can be sent to:

Better World Books
Attn: Help Haiti
55740 Currant Rd.
Mishawaka, IN 46545

Please send only books in good condition. Note: Book donations are not tax deductible.

2. Run a campus book drive for Haiti – click here to sign-up.

3. Make a cash donation to one of our partners:

Restore Education: Donate cash now to Plan USA
Rebuild Libraries: http://www.ala.org/haiti

How it works:

1. You send books to Better World Books at the address above.

2. The books donated will be sold on their global network of marketplaces including BetterWorldBooks.com.

3. 50% of the net sales are donated to Plan USA, earmarked for the Haiti education rebuilding effort.

About Plan USA:

Plan USA is Better World Book new non-profit literacy partner. Funds raised through the Rebuild Haiti Better World Book Drive will be applied exclusively to education in Haiti.

Plan USA has been working in Haiti since 1973. They were recently selected by the Haitian government to implement the country’s education restoration effort alongside the Ministry of Education, UN agencies, local and international NGO partners.

Better World has made an initial donation of $10,000 to the Plan USA effort to rebuild Haiti. You can learn more about Plan USA at: http://www.planusa.org/

According to a report from AFP, “At least 73 people were killed and more than 330,000 others displaced after the heaviest rain in more than four decades plunged the Philippine capital into turmoil…

The nine-hour deluge across Manila on Saturday submerged houses, washed away shanties and turned roads into raging rivers, forcing terrified residents to seek refuge on top of homes or cars where they waited for more than 24 hours.”

It is the worst extensive flooding that he has seen, according to Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro. The rainfall sets a record high of 41.6 centimetres (16 inches), over the previous single-day record of 33.4 centimetres in July 1967.

Philippine Red Cross chairwoman Gwendolyn Pang said rescuers were struggling to reach many areas, with highways rendered impassable.

“This has never happened before. Almost 80 percent of metropolitan Manila is underwater,” Pang told AFP.

For those of you who are reading this and want to make a donation whether in term of money or relief goods, you can do it through:

1. Philippines National Red Cross, PNRC or through their online form: PNRC and choose ‘Typhoon Ondoy.’

2. And if you are in the Philippines, you can also access this list for all the locations where you can drop off relief goods for people affected by Ketsana (Ondoy).

3. If you are in Cebu: Victory Cebu at 3/F Dacay Building, 72 Escario St., Cebu City. Operation: 10am – 6pm, Monday – Sunday.

4. If you are in Bacolod: Victory Bacolod at 3/L Robinsons Place – Bacolod. They are accepting donations in cash and relief goods (bread, “mamon” brownies, cookies/biscuits, juice, energy drink, bottled water, medication, clothing, slippers, blankets,etc.). Contact no. 441-0703.

Update:

The Filipino Association in Singapore (FAS) also announced that it is accepting donations in kind for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy. Donations may be dropped off at:

A-Freight Cargo
304 Orchard Road
#03-19 Lucky Plaza
Singapore 238863
Contact Maureen Schepers: 6235-1011.

i-Remit Singapore announced that it will waive remittance charges for donations to the Philippine National Red Cross. Remittances to the Philippine National Red Cross may be sent through:

i-Remit Singapore
304 Orchard Road
#03-69 Lucky Plaza
Singapore 238863

LBC announced that it will waive remittance charges for donations made to the following organizations: ABS-CBN Foundation, GMA Foundation, Philippine National Red Cross, and the National Disaster Coordinating Center. Remittances to these organizations may be sent through:

LBC Singapore
304 Orchard Road
#04-77 Lucky Plaza
Singapore 238863

Wishing everyone a bless week ahead!