DISASTER VOLUNTEER WORK

My response to the Tohoku disaster came naturally as a mother, grandmother, and a Canadian of Japanese ancestry who deeply loves Japan.

My 6 year journey as a volunteer to support the recovery of the Tohoku 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear power plant accident took many shapes and forms.

These included:

-organizing major artists, creative teams, musicians, and volunteers to come together for the April 19, 2011 benefit concert, ‘Ganbare Japan’ in Vancouver. One evening at the Queen Elizabeth Theater, we were able to donate over $205,000 of the $259,434 generated to the Japan Red Cross.

- the youth cloth letters project, “Canada-Japan-Tohoku Kids for Kids Cloth Letters”

- coordinating from the devastated Tohoku coastline, a direct donation program connecting Tohoku fishermen in need to generous fishermen in BC, Alaska and Washington state that enabled 100% of over $250,000 USD critical donations be made.

 -listening and bringing together the voices of over 80 people up and down the Tohoku coastline in the feature documentary “Tohoku no Shingetsu”.