LSBA President Leefe Shares Information on Assistance Following Typhoon Haiyan It will take several months before the full devastation of super Typhoon Haiyan on the Philippines is known. The initial numbers, though, are staggering: 1,774 known dead, with estimates of several thousands more; 2,784 injured, which will continue to climb; 600,000 displaced; and more than 9.5 million affected in some way. The pleas for assistance — from basic survival needs of food, water and medical care, to help to combat complex logistical complications — have circled the globe. It is human nature to want to help in any way possible. We, of course, offer our prayers and condolences to the victims and their families in Louisiana and worldwide. But we have been made aware of several relief efforts underway.Robert Grace, president of the New Orleans Filipino American Lions Club, has announced a donations account set up through Capital One Bank and through the Lions Clubs International Foundation. William J. Simonitsch with the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, together with the National Filipino American Lawyers Association, offers several suggestions for donations to aid agencies. Read more on all efforts below. —Richard K. Leefe, LSBA President New Orleans Filipino American Lions Club Opens a Typhoon Haiyan Donations Account The impact of super Typhoon Haiyan has left a path of destruction across the central provinces of the Philippines. Many people are looking to help in the recovery. Most of our club members have been in contact with the Philippines, though with little success in the most affected areas. We are arranging for the “New Orleans Filipino American Lions Disaster Relief Fund” account in Capital One to accept donations from the greater New Orleans community at any Capital One branch. We will distribute the funds through the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) directly to the relief efforts in the Philippines where we can have the greatest impact. I have been in contact with LCIF headquarters and have verified that LCIF has committed more than $500,000 in emergency relief funds to the Lions Multiple District in the affected areas. LCIF, a 501(c)3 organization, is collecting donations for Typhoon Haiyan relief. Donate online at: https://www.lcif.org/EN/ways-to-give/lion-disaster-donation.php. We know that food, water and clothing are needed, but, at this time, we do not know the conditions of the roads or distribution locations. There are a number of Lions Clubs in the central Philippines. Some are in the devastated areas, but others suffered little damage and have logistical resources. Our donations will be used to provide help where it is most needed, for as long as it is needed. In New Orleans, we remember Katrina and how long even resilient residents needed to recover from a disaster. The recovery in the Philippines will take a long time and will require lots of help from organizations like ours and from people like you. —Lion Robert Grace, President, New Orleans Filipino American Lions Club National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Suggests Ways to Help in Philippines The devastating super Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the central Philippines on Nov. 8. As rescue workers have struggled to reach survivors, news of the immense damage and loss of life is gradually coming to light. Death tolls are estimated to exceed 10,000 people, more than 630,000 were forced from their homes, and more than 9.5 million have been affected. The relief effort by aid agencies is just getting underway, and they must contend with the complicated logistics of getting people and aid out to the affected areas. This will be extremely difficult because of the extreme disruption to ports and airports and the inaccessibility of roads. The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) expresses its condolences and extends its prayers to the victims of this disaster and to the families of those who may have been affected. NAPABA encourages you to support relief efforts in any way you feel appropriate. But note that when disasters like this occur, the victims are helped most by financial contributions to aid agencies rather than donations of consumer goods. If you want to make a donation but are unsure of which aid agency you wish to support, NAPABA, together with the National Filipino American Lawyers Association, suggest the following: • Charity Navigator rates and has a list of reputable aid organizations that are contributing to relief efforts in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan. Go to: http://www.charitynavigator.org • Gawad Kalinga USA is accepting donations to pay for 200,000 food packs that Gawad Kalinga Philippines will distribute in hard-hit areas. The packs — which include rice, bottled water and canned goods — can feed families for three or four days for as little as $5. To donate, go to: http://gk-usa.org/donations/ • American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/news/article/Typhoon-Haiyan-Disaster-Alert • Catholic Relief Services: http://crs.org • CARE: http://www.care.org/emergencies/typhoon-haiyan • Doctors Without Borders: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org • International Rescue Committee: http://www.rescue.org • Oxfam: http://firstperson.oxfamamerica.org • UNICEF: http://fieldnotes.unicefusa.org/2013/11/super-typhoon-haiyan-strikes-philippines.html • World Food Program USA: http://wfpusa.org —William J. Simonitsch, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association