Where can I send supplies to Japan?

Question:

My mom and I are collecting supplies for the Japan Disaster Relief but we have no idea where to send it! Please if you have any information let me know! I can't send it to the red cross because they are accepting money donations only is there anywhere else?

Answer:

It is almost always better to donate money to relief agencies rather than send supplies yourself (unless you're in the disaster zone already have have supplies to donate).

They have far greater purchasing power than you and may be able to buy 4 blankets for what it cost you for one plus shipping costs.

More importantly, there usually isn't a shortage of supplies to hand out in a disaster, there are logistical problems with getting them to where they are needed. Sorting through 1000 packages sent by well meaning donors, then repackaging them for distribution is very time consuming and labor intensive. It's much more efficient when they have a single box that contains 48 identical blankets that they can load on a pallet for an airdrop than trying to cram 48 blankets of difference sizes into a box that they have to procure.

The reason there are shortages is because there are areas with vast destruction with no roads or power, making it hard to get supplies where they are needed, coupled with continued aftershocks and tsunami alerts causing supply deliveries to be delayed, and finally the continued radiation releases from Fukushima are making it even harder to get into areas near the power plant

So please consider making a monetary donation to a recognized relief agency instead of mailing your goods to the disaster zone.

If you ship your goods by ground, it will take weeks to arrive, and I think you'll be surprised at the cost to ship a package by ground and shocked at the cost to ship by air. Shipping a 25 pound package using the US Postal Service would cost $120, and take at least 2 weeks to get there (probably longer due to the disaster). You could use Fedex to get your 25 lb package there in 2 days, but that would cost close to $300.

You're better off giving the money you would have spent in postage to a relief agency - they can likely buy the contents of whatever is in your box for less than what you spent for postage.