New York Community Resources

Help Victims of Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines

Letter of Appeal from NAFCON Bayanihan Relief & Rehabilitation Program

November 10, 2013

To family, friends and supporters of the Filipino people,

Greetings of peace!

We, the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) are humbled to witness the generous outpour of community support to assist the people in the Philippines affected by super typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda, which hit and ravaged numerous provinces in the central Philippines on November 8th 10,000 in the province of Leyte alone. The estimate death toll is at least 10,000 in the province of Leyte alone. Yolanda comes only 3 weeks after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake destroyed buildings and homes in the central Philippines and Typhoon Santi devastated crops in the northern part Luzon.

Currently, livelihood is compromised throughout the archipelago, and countless residents have been relocated or are homeless. Little government assistance is reaching the people who are in dire need of water, sanitation, food and safe shelter. They are relying on organizations on the ground, like NAFCON’s grassroots Philippine partners, to ensure donations go directly to those most in need of help, information and basic necessities. For years, NAFCON has carried out its overseas relief and rehabilitation efforts with partner organizations who maintain a proven track record of serving Filipinos communities with integrity and trust.
In this state of calamity, there is an urgent call for support and assistance. In an effort to have a united and concerted response, we encourage all supporters to coordinate with respective NAFCON chapters throughout the United States to ensure that our actions are effective, sustainable and empowering of the local communities, especially those that are the hardest hit, poorest and underserved.

At this time, NAFCON will assist in the direct transfer of MONETARY donations. Your donation will be sent directly to Bayanihan Alay sa Sambayanan or BALSA (People’s Cooperation for the People), a national grassroots relief and rehabilitation organization composed of broad church-based organizations, schools, disaster response NGOs, and individuals, working with victims of disasters in the Philippines.

Please, make online donations securely via PayPal at http://tinyurl.com/bayanihanreliefeffort or make checks payable to “St. George Fontana,” and on the memo line, write: “NAFCON Bayanihan Relief” to clearly allocate it for this purpose. NAFCON Bayanihan Disaster Relief Regional Coordinators can collect your donations or mail it to our local nonprofit partner at 17895 San Bernardino Avenue, Fontana, CA 92335-6155 c/o Naida Castro. Please, include your return address with your donation. For qualifying tax-deductible donations, please, email trea@nafconusa.org for necessary documentation.
If you have questions, or for more information on fundraising, community empowerment, and relief activities in your area, please contact the NAFCON Bayanihan Disaster Relief Regional Coordinator nearest you or visit www.nafconusa.org.

Please, see the information below for more details on how you can support our kababayan in the Philippines. Again, thank you for your generosity and genuine service to the people most in need.

Respectfully Yours,

Terrence A. Valen, MPH,
National Alliance for Filipino Concerns, President 2010-2014

NAFCON BAYANIHAN DISASTER RELIEF REGIONAL COORDINATORS:
NAFCON Mailing Address: Attn: NAFCON-USA, 4681 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94112
EAST COAST: Michelle Saulon; ne@nafconusa.org; (650) 808–5043

Made in NY Training

Media and Entertainment Program

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Mental Health Association of New York City

MHA-NYC is a local organization with national impact. A not for profit organization with a three-part mission of services, advocacy and education, MHA-NYC identifies unmet needs and develops culturally sensitive programs to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness while promoting the importance of mental health.

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If you or a loved one know a New Yorker in emotional distress, please call 1-800-LIFENET anytime, anyplace. For all other Americans, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) if you need free, confidential crisis counseling for yourself or a family member.

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Executive Offices MHA-NYC
Ashley Womble

Address:  50 Broadway, 19th Floor New York, NY 10004

Tel: 212-254-0333  |  Fax: 212-964-7302 | Email: awomble@mhaofnyc.org

For more information, please visit: http://www.mha-nyc.org/