What is HANDS?
HANDS is a nonprofit based in Kitakami dedicated to recovery on the coast. Originally, we were affililated with JCI (Junior Chamber International) Kitakami, but we became our own nonprofit last August.
Currently our trips to the coast are run on an all-volunteer basis. This means we basically carpool to the coast when there are volunteer drivers.
What kind of volunteer work can I do?
That depends on what kind of work requests are brought to the volunteer centers, but you can usually expect one of the following:
- Distributing goods
- Removing tsunami mud
- Cleaning up rubble
- Cleaning pavement and houses with a high pressure washer (a kind of big water gun)
- Cutting grass and weeding, other landscaping
- Helping to remove household items that residents no longer need
- Helping people move (for example, to a temporary housing unit, etc)
- Rarely, cleaning photographs
Where does HANDS meet? Where does HANDS go?
We meet in Kitakami station at 7:00 am. Please see manual for more details.
We usually go on weekends, but please email for more information.
We used to dispatch daily, but that changed last March. Please see explanation here.
What do I need to bring?
Usually boots with safety insoles, work gloves, masks, a lunch, clothes that can get dirty, clothes that can get wet, warm clothes. (Some of these things, you can borrow if you come with HANDS.)
With other groups, you might also need a sleeping bag or a tent, depending on the kind of accommodation. Be careful and make sure to bring everything your chosen volunteer org asks you to!
What other organizations could I volunteer with?
Some organizations may or may not still be taking volunteers, but try the following:
Nadia
JEARS (Animal rescue and support)
What do I need to do to participate with HANDS?
You need to fill out our registration form, ideally at least three days before the first day you want to participate, then send to thomasanna85@gmail.com. After you fill out the registration form once, all you have to do is tell us (email or otherwise) additional dates you want to participate.
You also need to bring the proper equipment, arrange a way to get up to Kitakami, and find a place to stay. Don’t worry: we can help advise you to do all of these things.
How can I get to Kitakami?
You could use the shinkansen: Kitakami, where we are based, is a shinkansen stop about three hours away from Tokyo.
Another cheaper option is the night bus. Being a bus that runs in the night, the night bus is uncomfortable according to some people, but definitely doable.
Sample schedule: Board in Ikebukuro 22:40. Arrive Kitakami 6:20 the next day (if you want to volunteer that day, basically get off the bus and volunteer!). Depart Kitakami 10:35, arrive Ikebukuro 6:13 am the next day.
See http://www.bushikaku.net/ or http://travel.rakuten.co.jp/bus/ (reservations in Japanese, use Google translate or ask a Japanese friend for help if needed)
How long can I volunteer? Is one day too short? Is three weeks too long?
If you want to volunteer longer than a couple of days, I can point you towards other NPOs taking long-term volunteers. Since we`re on a weekends basis only, you could only volunteer with us a couple of days.
I want to volunteer two months from now. Will you still be taking volunteers?
We`ll be taking volunteers, and if we aren`t, I can find you someone who is.
Who are you?
My name is Anna Thomas, and I'm a foreigner and HANDS volunteer who lives in Kitakami. I can help foreigners, or anybody else interested, volunteer on the coast. Contact me at thomasanna85@gmail.com any time if you have any questions.
Do I have to speak Japanese?
This also depends on the organization. HANDS is run by Japanese speakers, but everyone has been very flexible about English-only volunteers. Some HANDS participants can speak some English, and often someone who can translate can participate with you at the same time.
Can I take pictures?
There have been problems in disaster areas with disrespectful photography. It’s OK to take photos, especially before/after photos of work sites and pictures of participants at the volunteer center, but please be careful. No pictures of people without their permission, and avoid taking pictures in front of locals.
Anything else I should know?
Remember to respect the communities and houses you enter and people you meet on the coast. Volunteering, like lots of things, is a privilege, not a right. Try to interfere in other people’s daily lives as minimally as possible—if you’re working on a sidewalk, don’t put tools in the middle of the sidewalk.
Try to spend money in the communities you go to whenever possible. They need your business, not just your service.
Don’t forget what you see on the coast, and don’t let others forget. Recovery is going to take a long time.
I want to find out more. Where can I ask questions?
Ask me questions at thomasanna85@gmail.com
You can also join the Facebook group Foreign Volunteers Japan and ask questions on the wall there, someone should be able to help you.
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