From Ditmas Park, How To Help Earthquake Victims

As many of our neighbors from Nepal, Tibet, India, and Bangladesh attempt to contact family and friends in their homelands that have been devastated by an earthquake that has killed thousands of people, injured thousands more and affected millions, our community has quickly asked: how can we help?

We’ve rounded up several ways that you can lend your time, money and more — as well as show support for our neighbors affected by the earthquake.

• PS 139, located at 330 Rugby Road, by Cortelyou Road, will collect money at its Multi-Cultural Festival this Friday, May 1. Funds raised at the event, which kicks off at the school at 6pm, will be given to UNICEF to help children and families in Nepal. If you’re unable to go but would like to donate, you can go here.

• Shakun Neupane, the secretary of the Nepalese American Nurses Association, an organization that includes nurses from across the country — including individuals from our neighborhood, told us her group is collecting financial donations and medical supplies (such as first aid kits), both of which a team of their nurses will bring to Nepal within the next several days. To donate, you can visit NANA’s website here. To find out more about donating medical supplies, or if you have any questions in general, you can call Shakun at 917-834-5085.

• There are numerous other organizations you can support that are working with victims, including: the Nepalese Red Cross, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (you can donate here to support them), ActionAid USA, the American Nepal Medical Foundation, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, AmeriCares, CARE, Catholic Relief Services, Habitat for Humanity, the International Medical Corps, Mercy Corps, Oxfam International, Save the Children, Shikshya Foundation Nepal, SEVA Foundation, the World Food Programme, and more. Numerous publications have printed extensive lists of places to donate, including the New York Times and CNN.

We expect to soon be speaking directly to neighbors who have been affected by the earthquake, and we’ll let you know what we can do to support them as soon as we find out.

Our thoughts go out to everyone who has been affected by this terrible tragedy.