Sikh Temple raises $100K first day http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/81746007.html Note: This is the same sangat that just dug itself out from a controversial election only to discover that it was in grave financial difficulty itself. That did not stop the sangat from digging deeper and finding the money to soothe the souls and spirits of suffering earthquake victims. In Surrey the sangat can multi-task. The message of the Gurus is alive and well in Surrey. Ardaas for victims. See this link http://www.gurunanakgurdwara.ca/2010/events/ardaas-for-haiti
A Surrey Sikh temple raised $100,000 for relief efforts in Haiti on the first day of donations.
Even before the launch of the fund raising campaign, phone calls, emails and text messages overwhelmed volunteers at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara on Scott Road, near 70 Avenue.
All day long a steady flow of Sikhs from all walks of life and all ages, flowed through the Scot Road Temple, donating to this cause. A planned Radio-thon on local South Asian Radio Stations, Red FM and Shere Punjab was started a day earlier and put in half a day of on the air collections.
The end result of the first day of effort, was approximately $100,000 in donations being pledged. As the community gears up for day two of the fundraising event, many volunteers have taken vacation time off work, to come volunteer at the Gurdwara Sahib and the local Radio stations, collecting donations.
A full 15 hour radio-thon takes place on Friday January 15th, on Red FM and Shere Punjab, in conjunction with the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
"The local Sikh community has always shown its support for humanitarian relief efforts, in any part of the world," according to temple president Bikramjit Singh Sandhar. "No matter what our background, where we live, we're all equal and each and every one of us should do their utmost to help a fellow human being."
Donations to the campaign can be made through the Gurdwara Sahib website at
Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara or email
contact@gurunanakgurdwara.ca.
How to help Haiti
Help from Canada is en route to quake-ravaged Haiti.
The Canadian government has pledged $5 million in immediate emergency aid.
Ottawa also announced it will be matching individual donations to charities up to a maximum of $50-million.
Foreign minister Lawrence Cannon said the Canadian military's Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), 200 personnel equipped to provide fast assistance to disaster-affected regions, is ready to help.
Advance teams have already been sent to assess the situation, Cannon said.
A CC-177 Globemaster III aircraft full of medical aid and a pair of search-and-rescue helicopters have been dispatched and two naval frigates are on standby.
Charities gathering donations for earthquake relief include
Unicef Canada, The Humanitarian Coalition , a joint effort between Oxfam Canada, Oxfam Quebec, CARE Canada and Save the children,
Plan Canada,
SOS Children's Villages,
United Nations World Food Programme,
FTC Canada,
Samaritan's Purse,
World Vision Canada, the
Red Cross, the
Salvation Army, Mennonite Central Committee, and
Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).
The
Better Business Bureau in B.C. has issued a warning about fake charities trying to profit from the disaster.
“Whenever there is a major natural disaster, be it home or abroad, there are two things you can count on," says BBB president Lynda Pasacreta.
"The first is the generosity of Canadians to donate time and money to help victims, and the second is the appearance of poorly run and in some cases fraudulent charities."
The Better Business Bureau offers the following six tips to help Canadians decide where to direct donations:
1. Rely on expert opinion when it comes to evaluating a charity.
Don't rely on bloggers or other Web sites. Go to the
Canada Revenue Agency to research charities and relief organizations to verify their accountability.
2. Be wary of claims that 100 percent of donations will assist relief victims.
Despite what an organization might claim, charities have fund raising and administrative costs. Even a credit card donation will involve, at a minimum, a processing fee.
3. Be cautious when giving online.
Be cautious about online giving, especially in response to spam messages and emails that claim to link to a relief organization. In response to the tsunami disaster in 2004, there were concerns raised about many Web sites and new organizations that were created overnight allegedly to help victims.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=28915 4. Find out if the charity has an on-the-ground presence in the impacted areas.
Unless the charity already has staff in the effected areas, it may be difficult to get new aid workers to quickly provide assistance. See if the charity’s website clearly describes what they can do to address immediate needs.
5. Find out if the charity is providing direct aid or raising money for other groups.
Some charities may be raising money to pass along to relief organizations. You may want to consider “avoiding the middleman” and giving directly to charities that have a presence in the region. Or, at a minimum, check out the ultimate recipients of these donations to ensure the organizations are equipped to effectively provide aid.
6. Gifts of clothing, food or other in-kind donations may not be a good idea.
In-kind drives for food and clothing, while well intentioned, may not necessarily be the quickest way to help those in need.
Not unless the organization has the staff and infrastructure to be able to properly distribute such aid. Ask the charity about their transportation and distribution plans. Beware those who are not experienced in disaster relief assistance.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has also compiled a guide,
How Canadians Can Help, with tips to avoid scam artists and ensure donations are sent to reputable groups.
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