Tsunami

It is with great sadness and hope I write this message.

I have just begun my day and upon opening my computer I read of the
great Earthquake and subsequent Tsunami affecting so very many
Countries on the Bay of Bengal. Horrifying.

My heart and prayers go out to all of Orchid members personally
affected by this tragedy. I truly hope you and yours are far from
the areas impacted by this horror of Nature.

I have spent time in many of the affected areas and know them to be
of spectacular beauty and charm, the most wonderful people, and
great vacation sites.

With the holiday season, I fear many other countries will also have
losses. I hope we on Orchid, are not among them.

In deepest sadness for all the lives, homes and businesses lost, I
send this message the best way I know to do so.

Terrie

Terrie

Very appropriately put accross. The devastation is colossal. The
toll as of now reported stands at 11000 people killed and untold
misseries inflicted on hundreds of thousands more. My heartfelt
sympathies and condolences to the breaved

It is only when mother nature crosses its boundaries, that we see
this.

We cannot play with mother nature without its wrath or correction
that she must do for our wrongs.

Anil G

Hearing of the earthquake and tsunami affecting Thailand, Sri Lanka,
and the surrounding countries, my heart aches for all the poor souls
whose lives have been devastated by this catastrophe.

I am surprised and heartened to see Orchid posts arriving, and hope
that Hanuman, Ahmed Shareek, and all the other Orchid members living
in those countries have survived the devastation, and are well and
safe.

The tidal wave affected the eastern cost of Thailand, I am well.
Bangkok was not affected. best wishes and thanks for caring.

Hanuman

Janet Kofoed

I echo the feelings of many, sympathy and empathy towards the
uncounted people suffering because of the disaster.

Charles and Dee

Charles Lewton-Brain/Brain Press
President, Canadian Crafts Federation
Box 1624, Ste M, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 2L7, Canada

Tel: 403-263-3955
Fax: 403-283-9053

Hanuman -

It is good to hear that all is well with you. I look forward to
news (hopefully good) of our other Orchid friends. It really is like
a family.

Debby Hoffmaster

I was so pleased to see Hanuman’s note attached to Janet’s post - I
pray the other Orchid members are similarly unaffected. I worry most
about Ahmed Shareek (only because I know him best) who lives in
Colombo, Sri Lanka.

As with other Orchid members my heart aches for all the people
living in the areas surrounding the Indian Ocean.

Natural disasters, totally unanticipated, are so brutal and
indiscriminate in the losses they cause. I only wish there were
some way to help other than to donate to the local relief agencies
such as the Red Cross, etc.

Sheridan Reed

It is with great relief to hear that Hanuman and others from Orchid
are safe. My heart goes out to the people dealing with this
unimaginable horror.

Sandra B.

We as jewelers deal with God’s created beauty everyday and we must
understand that there is a terrible side also. May God have mercy on
the displaced and take to His bosom those that died.

mike w.

Just what, G-d forbid, would happen to our Orchid be if “He” wasn’t
around anymore? perish the thought…unbelievable loss of humanity
22,000 souls in only a few minutes!

G-d took them with little pain.! “Life is pleasurable…Death is
Peaceful…its the transition that is troublesome”…Isaac
Asimov…Gerry!

I am so relieved to hear tha Hanuman is safe, and I hope that
other members of our Orchid family are also safe… My heart goes out
to all the people who are suffering such a loss, and now have to cope
with the results of this terrible disaster.

Alma

Sheridan,

I have heard from Ahmed, he and family are ok, his father in law
lost his business but is safe. Ahmed is setting up a pay pal account
to buy supplies for the needy. Please check with him directly. I
will contribute that way.

Terrie

Our planet can be very cruel at times. The tsunami that occurred is
an example of how fast terrible things can happen.

I pray all the people who lost their lives will find peace in what
ever hereafter they believe in.

It would be great to hear that all our Orchid friends who live it
the affected areas are OK.

Contributions to the Red Cross or Red Crescent would be of great
help to the people who have suffered this tremendous disaster.

Lee

…and Atlas shrugged …

We forget that we are pretty puny creatures next to the awesome
power of Mother Nature. We need to respect her a lot more - and
stop filling dangeous areas full of vulnerable people. This morning
I heard that fully a third of the victims were children, many of
whom had rushed out to collect seashells when the waters drew back
prior to slamming the waves over the landscape. The seashells may
have been their main source of support, when sold to tourists.
Those poor babies!

Tas
http://www.earthlywealth.com/

My heart goes out to those tens of thousands who have experienced
the tsunami. Most of us have no idea what such a disaster is like.

I wonder if we all understand the impact this will have on our
business. You can certainly expect the price of gems from the area
(and there are many) to increase as the supply decreases. Frankly, I
kind of hope that will happen (and know it will) as it will improve
the lives of those who are still working in the business of mining
and cutting gems from the region. My heart goes out also to those who
will be unemployed as a result of this disaster.

Life is so full of “ups and downs” it’s something we should all take
as a “given.” However, while we still enjoy the profits from low
cost gems purchased in the past, I hope we will all make a
contribution to the charities involved in the rescue of the remaining
people out of that profit. I plan to do so.

Susan
Sun Country Gems
www.suncountrygems.com

I heard from my friend Ahmed Shareek and he and his family are OK. He
updated his Web Site with the also.

thanks
Love and God Bless
randy

All the hand ringing is very touching on this subject. Let’s do
something that will make a REAL difference. How about a relief
fund,initiated from our community to help those who have been so
adversely affected by this act of nature. Any suggestions?

rp leaf

As sincere and well-intentioned as I’m sure everyone’s concern and
prayers for the Asian tsunami victims are, what the survivors
desperately need now is our tangible help, not our warm wishes.

Like most of you, I, too, wondered how I could help from so far
away. For good reason I am wary of giving money to ANY goverment
agency and even many large charities. However, there are several
financially-responsible charitable groups who are, at this very
moment, working to help those in need in Thailand, India, Sri Lanka
and elsewhere, and they could use our financial support.

A few haritable non-profit organizations worth considering are:
Doctors Without Borders, Food For The Poor, Northwest Medical Teams,
and World Vision. All of these groups are sending medicine, doctors
and nurses, and/or food and supplies. If you want to research how
charities spend the money you send them, you might want to check out
www.ministrywatchers.com, or simply do a Google search “charity
ratings”. Additionally, perhaps Orchid members who live in the
affected countries can give us suggestions regarding how we can best
send financial help to local groups, etc.?

For those of you have had a financially prosperous year, you have
just a few more days to plan your end of year charitable giving.
Donating money is a great way to reduce your taxes, and it makes you
feel good, too!

There but by the grace of God go we . . .

Doug

…From: mswearingen@juno.com

Many of us may be donating already through other channels. I know I
am. But a group effort never hurts. There is a challenge thread
going on the eBay Bidding Board to get people donating. There are many
many excellent organizations that are bringing relief to the areas
and people affected.
MonaLS

From: “Loren S. Damewood” lorenzo@golden-knots.com

There are many charitable organizations which are working to bring
relief to the victims of this disaster.

I hope that everyone will give a little extra to the organization of
their choice, to help fund their efforts.

Loren

From: Hideo Chino sheridanreed@cox.net

I agree we should do something concrete aside from expressing our
feelings. Ahmed Shareek has set up a pay-pal account through his web
site at http://www.crescentgems.com. I found it when I went to the
site at the suggestion of Randy Smith. I have also received this
from several friends:

  Dear friends, 

  If you have not yet gone to your favorite relief agency's site
  to donate to the millions of survivors of the earthquake and
  tsunami in southern Asia (current count is 56,000 dead), please
  consider visiting the following sites: 

  Reuters Foundation's site, Alertnet.org:  Alerting
  humanitarians to emergencies.  A treasuretrove of information
  and links to non-governmental organizations. 

http://www.alertnet.org/thefacts/reliefresources/110409431212.htm

  Among my favorite all-around NGOs are the International
  Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, IFRC
  www.ifrc.org (they often can go where IRC workers may not feel
  safe,. . . . 

  Students, faculty and staff have expressed an interest in
  supporting relief efforts for survivors of the tsunami. The
  following CNN website carries a fairly complete listing of
  international aid organizations. You may find them helpful. 

http://cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/28/tsunami.aidsites/index.html

Sheridan Reed

From: The Doctor docktor@bellsouth.net

I found a page on MSNBC.com that lists the names and contact
for reputable charitable organizations involved with
tsunami recovery.

For my fellow Floridians who wish to help, there is a phone number
you can call to find out if the organization you are considering to
donate to is reputable. To check to see if the charity is registered
with the state of Florida, call 1-800-HELP-FLA or visiting
www.800helpfla.com/giftgiversguide Con artists always creep up
during times like these (Florida is still experiencing “hurricane
cons”). If you live here, try calling this number before donating to
any charitable organization.

Just knowing that 100,000 people are predicted dead from this event
of plate tectonics is sobering, to say the least. If that doesn’t
drive home the significance of this geological event, I direct you
to this Reuters news excerpt:

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The deadly Asian earthquake may have
permanently accelerated the Earth’s rotation – shortening days by a
fraction of a second – and caused the planet to wobble on its axis,
U.S. scientists said on Tuesday.

Richard Gross, a geophysicist with NASA (news - web sites)'s Jet
Propulsion Laboratory in California, theorized that a shift of mass
toward the Earth’s center during the quake on Sunday caused the
planet to spin 3 microseconds, or one millionth of a second, faster
and to tilt about an inch (2.5 cm) on its axis.

It seems that scientists will be adding another “leap second” a bit
sooner than previously anticipated.

James in SoFl

From: Crescent Gems shareek@crescentgems.com

Hi all,

Thank you for all those Emails , I am sorry I did not check My
ORCHID mail for a while . We are fine, ( Staff of crescent gems and
our loved ones ) But the south coast of Sri Lanka is devastated .

Please Donate a few $$$ for a worthy cause at

Thanking you in advance
Ahmed shareek

From: “E. Luther” eluther@copper.net

The following links are from the on-line publication Heroic Stories.
The owner, Randy Cassingham, is a Red Cross volunteer and paramedic
and always does his research. So I trust that these are trustworthy
places to donate.

The International Red Cross/Red Crescent: International Committee of the Red Cross
Project HOPE Asia Tsunami Response: Specify “India emergency
relief”: http://tinyurl.com/5jmns Unicef South Asia Tsunami Relief
Efforts: Donate: Humanitarian Aid for Children in Crisis | UNICEF USA News:
Humanitarian Aid for Children in Crisis | UNICEF USA Oxfam: Donate:
https://secure.ga3.org/02/asia_earthquake04

Elaine Luther
Metalsmith, Certified PMC Instructor

Hard to Find Tools for Metal Clay

From: “Karen Goeller” kgoeller@nolimitations.com

I would also like to add that the tangible relief efforts take many
forms. There obvious needs such as food & blankets that are
critical, but hygiene needs are the ones that will save the most
lives in the longer term, until government aid can step in with the
big bucks to rebuild water purification plants and such. Hygiene
assistance addresses water purification, cleaning agents,
disinfectants, etc., which can begin to prevent the epidemic of
plague illnesses that will follow devastation of this magnitude
(cholera, dengue fever, etc.)

One organization that focuses on “hygiene kits” for disaster areas
is Mercy Corps. They have been highly rated and their work is worth
considering as you determine how to provide support for relief
efforts. You can find out about them at http://www.mercycorps.org

Thanks,
Karen Goeller
kgoeller@nolimitations.com
Hand-crafted artisan jewelry
http://www.nolimitations.com

From: “Tina Ashmore” tinaashmore68@hotmail.com

The Red Cross sends 100% donations to those in need.

Tina
Ireland

Here are some charities that are accepting donations for aid in
Southeast Asia. Elizabeth in New York

elizabethdavid.nyc@worldnet.att.net

How to Help: Disaster Aid
December 28, 2004

Following are some of the agencies accepting contributions for aid to
people affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Asia. Click on the
links below to donate to an individual organization or go to Network
for Good to donate to multiple organizations.

Guidelines on choosing a charity: www.guidestar.org.

ACTION AGAINST HUNGER 
247 West 37th Street, Suite 1201 
New York, N.Y. 10018 
212-967-7800 x108
http://www.actionagainsthunger.org  

AMERICAN JEWISH WORLD SERVICE 
45 West 36th Street, 10th Floor 
New York, N.Y. 10018 
800-889-7146 
http://www.ajws.org  

AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT
DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE 
South Asia Tsunami Relief 
Box 321 
847A Second Avenue 
New York, N.Y. 10017 
212-687-6200 ext.851 
http://www.jdc.org  

AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE 
AFSC Crisis Fund 
1501 Cherry Street 
Philadelphia, Pa. 19102 
888-588-2372 
http://www.afsc.org  

AMERICAN RED CROSS
International Response Fund 
P.O. Box 37243 
Washington, D.C. 20013 
800-HELP NOW 
http://www.redcross.org

CARE 
151 Ellis Street 
Atlanta, GA 30303 
800-521-CARE 
http://www.care.org  

CATHOLIC
RELIEF SERVICES 
Tsunami Emergency 
P.O. Box 17090 
Baltimore, Md. 21203-7090 
800-736-3467
http://www.catholicrelief.org  

DIRECT RELIEF INTERNATIONAL 
27 South La Patera Lane 
Santa Barbara, Calif. 93117 
805-964-4767 
http://www.directrelief.org  

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS 
P.O. Box 1856 
Merrifield, Va. 22116-8056 
888-392-0392 
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org 

EPISCOPAL RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT 
Emergency Fund 
P. O. Box 12043 
Newark, NJ 07101 
800-334-7626
http://www.er-d.org  

INTERACTION 
American Council for Voluntary International Action 
1717 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Suite 701 
Washington, DC 20036 
(202) 667-8227 
http://www.interaction.org 

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS/RED CRESCENT 
http://www.ifrc.org  

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS
Earthquake/Tsunami Relief 
1919 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 300 
Santa Monica, Calif. 90404 
800-481-4462 	
http://www.imcworldwide.org  

INTERNATIONAL ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHARITIES 
Asia Disaster Response 
P.O. Box 630225 
Baltimore, MD 21263-0225 
877-803-4622
http://www.iocc.org  

INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE 
P.O. Box 5058 
Hagerstown,
MD 21741-9874 
877-REFUGEE or 733-8433 
http://www.theIRC.org  

ISLAMIC RELIEF USA
Southeast Asia Earthquake Emergency 
P.O. Box 6098 
Burbank, Calif. 91510 
888-479-4968 
http://www.irw.org/asiaquake

LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF 
700 Light Street 
Baltimore, Maryland 21230 
800-LWR-LWR-2 
http://www.lwr.org

MERCY CORPS 
Southeast Asia Earthquake Response 
Dept. W 
P.O. Box 2669
Portland, Ore. 97208 
800-852-2100 
http://www.mercycorps.org  

NETWORK FOR GOOD
http://www.networkforgood.org  

OPERATION USA 
8320 Melrose Avenue, Suite 200 
Los Angles, Calif. 90069
800-678-7255 
http://www.opusa.org  

OXFAM AMERICA 
Donor Services Department 
26 West Street

Boston, MA 12111-1206 
800-77-OXFAM 
http://www.oxfamamerica.org  

SAVE THE CHILDREN
Asia Earthquake/Tidal Wave Relief Fund 
54 Wilton Road 
Westport, Conn. 06880 
800-728-3843
http://www.savethechildren.org  

UNICEF 	
General Emergency Fund 
333 E. 38th Street 
New York, NY 10016 
800-4-UNICEF 
http://www.unicef.org  

WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME 
US Friends of the WFP 
PO Box 11856
Washington, D.C. 20008 
http://www.wfp.org/donate

I think sympathy is like saying you’re sorry, it is better to do
something rather than saying “sorry”. CNN has lists of organizations
one can give to…there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that the
region needs money to survive. The only way the people will survive
is to have water, food and meds. I think everyone can make a
philosophical statement about good and/or bad about anything…but
when there is such a huge disaster, this hardly seems the time to me
to vent ones opinions. We (jewelry people) all buy, use and/or abuse
the talents and resources of this particular area of the world so it
is really just give back time.

Jan