Japan Earthquake Relief Effort: CAFAmerica to Help Facilitate Immediate Charitable Contributions to Orgs Assisting Victims of Devastating Earthquakes and Tsunamis

WASHINGTON, March 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CAFAmerica – a member organization of the United Kingdom based Charities Aid Foundation international network of offices, providing charitable financial services to individuals, global corporations, charities, and foundations – announced this morning that it will immediately be offering concerned Americans a vehicle for providing assistance to Japanese humanitarian relief efforts in the wake of the fifth largest earthquake ever recorded.  

A magnitude-8.9 earthquake slammed Japan's northeastern coast today, triggering a massive tsunami, killing an estimated 1,000 people, and washing away buildings, cars and homes in a matter of minutes.  Northern coastal cities such as Sendai, Ofutano City and Onahama bore the immediate effects of the earthquake and tsunami, but fires have broken out at power stations, oil and gas facilities and residential areas, and millions are without electricity in cities as far south as Tokyo.  A second earthquake aftershock of 6.2 hit Nagano and Niigata, Japan this afternoon, and police have already recovered approximately 300 bodies in Sendai.  The number of casualties throughout the country is expected to rise dramatically.

Details are still emerging in the aftermath of this terrible catastrophe.  CAFAmerica is continuing to watch as the events unfold, and will continue the process of compiling a list of Japanese and international organizations preparing a response.

CAFAmerica currently works with a number of international emergency response and relief organizations that are providing services and support for the communities impacted by this tragedy.  These include the IFRC, Oxfam UK, Doctors Without Borders and Christian Aid.  This list will be expanding as more of our organizations turn their focus to providing support. 

Please visit http://www.cafamerica.org/dnn/Resources/News/tabid/146/Default.aspx. for details on how to make charitable contributions to the relief efforts.  

TO ASSIST WITH THE JAPAN EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI VICTIM RELIEF EFFORTS

If you are responding to the ongoing natural disasters in Japan, please visit the 'Our Impact' section of the CAFAmerica home page, www.cafamerica.org, and to the news section: http://www.cafamerica.org/dnn/Resources/News/tabid/146/Default.aspx.

ABOUT CAFAMERICA

Founded in 1992, Charities Aid Foundation America (CAFAmerica) is a member organization of the United Kingdom based Charities Aid Foundation international network of offices, which provides charitable financial services to individuals, global corporations, charities, and foundations.  CAFAmerica is dedicated to expanding borderless charitable giving by providing guidance and international grant making solutions for donors and charities. CAFAmerica makes over $40 million in grants to charities in 76 countries around the world.  CAFAmerica's range of charitable solutions include: Donor Advised Gifts, Donor Advised Funds, Matching Donor Advised Funds, Designated Funds, bequest planning and 'Friends of' Charity Funds.

SOURCE CAFAmerica, Alexandria, VA