Celebrities Provide Housing Assistance for Japan

Disaster relief organizations such as www.uniteforjapan.org and the American Red Cross are providing housing assistance to the Japanese people, along with funds that will allow them to rebuild their country and their lives after a devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck in March, killing thousands and leaving many more homeless.  Actor Ken Watanabe founded www.uniteforjapan.org, a charity organization designed to pull people together to assist in funding Japan’s relief effort.  In addition, the organization is working with other agencies such as the American Red Cross, Global Giving and Japan Society.

“When I first saw the catastrophic damage, I was in shock and utter disbelief,” said Watanabe.  “In the days following the earthquake, it was devastating for me to watch the homeless taking shelter at evacuation centers.”  Watanabe talks about people not having an adequate supply of clothing and food, a fact that caused him to feel helpless.

Disaster Relief Organizations Create Funding

Unite for Japan gathered together a group of A-list celebrities to help record two Public Service Announcements (PSAs) to raise awareness about the plight of the Japanese in the aftermath of the disaster.  Participating in the PSAs were: Paula Abdul, Jamie Lee Curtis, Matt Damon, Zac Brown, Ellen DeGeneres, Rob Marshall, Ben Affleck, Johnny Depp, Mikael Hafstrom, Katy Perry, Clint Eastwood, Ayako Fujutani, William Shatner, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Muramasa Kudo, Jennifer Morrison, Aisha Tyler, Sharon Lawrence, Cameron Diaz, John Legend, Hideki Matsui, Amaury Nolasco, Robert Patrick, Richard Lewis, Zoe Saldana, Cillian Murphy, Julian McMahon, Cobie Smulders, Apolo Ohno, Steph Song, Maggie Q, Charlize Theron, Jake Shimabukuro, Jonah Hill, Masi Oka, John Travolta, Ben Stiller and Mark Wahlberg.

Those who want to make a donation to charity organizations that help Japan can donate online and provide much needed housing assistance.

Tags: charitable giving, Help People, Housing Assistance, MicroGiving, philanthropy