Kickstarter

This project is now closed, after having raised $921 for typhoon relief in the Philippines. The funds have been given directly to The Philippine Jesuit Foundation's social advocacy arm, which is engaged in direct aid effort (not evangelical). More information can be found here: http://www.jesuits.ph/articles/help_the_victims_of_typhoon_ondoy.

Thank you to all for your support!

A special thanks to Amazon.com for waiving their usual transaction fees for this particular project! As you may know, Amazon charges a standard transaction fee for all Amazon Payments, but given the purpose of this project and the gravity of the situation in the Philippines (a major storm is expected to hit land *again* on Monday), they are waiving all fees.

This is wonderful, wonderful news, and we can't thank them enough. Every dollar helps, no matter how small. We are incredibly grateful for their generosity.

Today I received $85 in cash, which puts us, as of this update, at $981 total. With a tropical depression expected to hit the same area by Friday, this money is needed more than ever. Thank you thank you thank you.

Here's an update from ITN World News about the situation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch...

And general data about the role of climate change in the sharp increase in weather-related disasters we've been witnessing as of late. $1000 goes a long way for immediate aid, but the solution needs to be both global and systemic.

http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm...

Amazing. In 5 hours we not only reached the $500 goal but blew past it, and by the time of this post, we're looking at $690 in funds raised for hurricane victims in the Philippines. Folks have given from three continents (that I'm aware of), from Taipei City to DC to Canterbury, UK. And the $25 backer reward has been quite popular - gotta love that chicken adobo :)

We have one more day to go. After consulting with a number of contacts in the Philippines, I am now 99% certain that the proceeds will go directly to the Jesuits in the Philippines (http://www.jesuits.ph/articles/help_the_victims_of_typhoon_ondoy). Please note that their work is *not* evangelical. It is purely aid-based (food, bottled water, canned goods, and medication), and my family and I have many personal contacts within the organization who know the money will be applied maximally to aid, rather than overhead. They also have a branch in the heart of New York, so I can give them a check directly. I'm now penning the thank you email that I will send to each of you.

Please continue to spread the word! I'd be thrilled to see us reach $1000 by this time tomorrow. That's nearly 50,000 pesos, and let me tell you, that's going to go a long, long way. According to one source on Wikipedia, the daily income for nearly half the population of the Philippines is less than two dollars. That's $730 a year, which is almost what we've raised so far.

In just 5 hours, we've raised $260, with more on the way, and some coming to me directly as cash. I felt a little crazy/ambitious here, trying to raise $500 in less than two days, but the money was needed yesterday. I'm busy researching sites to spread the word and an organization with extremely low overhead, to ensure the majority of the money goes to those in need.

I'll be back in touch soon with an update later tonight. Can we raise at least $400 by the end of the day? Please spread the word . :)