The March 11 earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan have left hundreds of thousands in a state of dire need. This week, food bloggers and people in the restaurant industry around the country are stepping in to help in any way they can during the April 2 Bakesale for Japan, a fundraiser for Peace Winds Japan and Peace Winds America. Both groups are dedicated to supporting people affected by natural disaster.
Ginger Coy of Bay Shakti and Samin of Ciao Samin joined together to launch Bakesale for Japan. Samin was no stranger to this sort of effort--she organized a Bakesale for Haiti in 2010 that raised nearly $23,000 for the earthquake relief effort there.
The Bakesale for Japan site features a map showing where events are taking place all over the country. If there's an event happening near you, consider participating. If there isn't an event near you, but you'd like to organize one, please email the organizers, and they will help you figure out how to get started.
Anne of Tuna Toast will sell her baked goods in Pasadena on Saturday to support the cause. She explained her connection to the country and her commitment to the effort in her post promoting the event:
If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you know how close Japan is to my heart. It's where I was born, where I learned to play the piano, had my first real job; met my husband, my best friend and my cat Cory. It's where I had my first apartment (it was the size of a bathroom but I loved it anyway!) and spent countless nights drinking beer and hanging out with friends until 4:30 am after having missed the last train. It's also home to my obaachan (grandma) who, at 101, is still hangin' out down in Osaka. Japan holds so many precious memories for me, and I have many friends and family members there. Luckily, none live up north and they escaped the worst of the disaster, but seeing the devastated faces of my fellow Japanese is still utterly gut-wrenching and I'd love to do anything to help. I hope you will too:).
In addition, Sabrina Modelle of The Tomato Tart has organized on online bake sale scheduled for March 30--anyone can participate in this from anywhere. The money from this auction will go to Second Harvest Japan, and more than 90 bakers have agreed to participate in it. You can preview some of the available treats now.
In every tragedy, every disaster, there lies the capacity for human kindness and love. Six days ago when I put out a quick tweet to a few friends asking if they’d like to do a bake sale to help Japan, several friends jumped right in immediately. Since then, the list of food bloggers, professional bakers, and others has grown exponentially! We have people participating from all over the world–the U.S, Canada, the UK, France, Italy, and Australia, so far.
Steph of Steph's Bite by Bite is one of the bloggers participating in the online bake sale--she will auction off her Triple Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake.
Seeing the devastation in Japan has left me speechless.
I can’t imagine first having my homeland rocked by an earthquake, then overcome by a tsunami, only to be left with a threat of nuclear proportions.
It’s moments like these that almost make you feel helpless. I wanted to help, but I didn’t know how.
There's much work to be done, but these bloggers are stepping in to do what they can. Every dollar will make a direct difference on the ground, where it's needed.
Are you participating in either Saturday's Bakesale for Japan or Wednesday's Online Bake Sale for Japan? Will you be attending one of the bake sales? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Photo by Tannazie, shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0) License.