In November, CULE donated $2000 towards typhoon relief efforts in the Philippines: we recently received the following report from Oplan Sagib Bayan (OSB).
Dear Friends, Greetings from the Philippines! Thank you for your contributions to Oplan Sagip Bayan (OSB). Your generosity has enabled us to do much more for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) and Pepeng (Parma) in terms of immediate relief and some aspect of rehabilitation. By extending your hand to help, you gave these victims hope in their hour of need. Armed with your generous donations of both cash and kind, and in cooperation with local grassroots organizations, we were able to provide tangible assistance to the families displaced by the raging floods and continuous rains in certain areas of Luzon. By pooling your OSB contributions, we were able to come up with limited but effective programs to give the affected families a fair chance of getting back on their feet. We estimate that the full impact of the series of disasters would be felt in the first six months of this year, with most families bracing for harder times ahead. But we are hopeful that with your continued support, we can make it through this difficult time.
There are lots of photos in the full report here (5.2Mb pdf) and it is well worth reading. Our brothers and sisters in the Philippines have been working very hard mobilizing volunteers, raising awareness around climate change and disaster preparedness and providing relief to the affected areas. The International Solidarity Committee recommends all CULE members take a moment to review the report – it is indeed an inspiration to all of us.