Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Voice from our clients - No.1: Asian People’s Friendship Society
Second Harvest Japan (2HJ) supports a wide variety of nonprofit organizations and individuals as our clients. We would like to bring their voice to you so that you know how your support to 2HJ make difference in our clients’ lives. This time, we introduce Asian People’s Friendship Society (APFS) to you. APFS supports foreign residents in Tokyo.
Food aid for foreign families
Global economy crisis after “Lehman shock” has damaged the financial condition of undocumented foreign residents who are working for their legal status of residence. Among them, several fathers of the families have been detained in the Tokyo immigration office since August 2009, which made the condition even more difficult. Families have lost income.
In order not to starve them, APFS started food aid project since end of October, 2009, with support from “Second harvest Japan”. “Second harvest Japan” is the organization that collects surplus food from the companies and distributes them to the person in need.
“Instead of our Japanese staff deciding how we give food to foreign recipients, our foreign recipients took an initiative and sorted food among themselves” (quoted from APFS’s blog)
Those families whose fathers had been detained in the immigration office received package of the rice and vegetables twice in a month. Children of the families were able to obtain enough nutrition.We also receive the food packages at the APFS office twice a month and distribute them to the foreign families on the occasion such as share meeting. The preparation of distribution of the food is helped not only by APFS Japanese staff but by everyone including foreign members as shown in the picture.
In 2010, among families who had been supported by this food aid, some family obtained special permission.
The voice from Ms. A who had been supported by food support project, and obtained special permission:
“We are so happy to see rice and vegetable in the package. The support is really helpful by finding new job. Please continue this support for people who still do not get the special permission for residence.”
Ms. A got a job and he does not need food aid any more.
Foreign families strongly wish to be self-supported. However it is not possible to do so in hunger. For now, APFS continues to support them so that they can solve their financial condition as well as their visa problem.
Comment from APFS’s staff member:
“Every month, (Second Harvest Japan) sends seven packages to our clients and delivers food to our office twice. Many of our clients don’t even know if they will have something to eat for the next day. We are very grateful to the lifeline provided by Second Harvest Japan.”
What did you think about it? Your generous support delivers food to those in need through our member organizations and groups. We would like to thank you sincerely on behalf of our clients. If you are interested in supporting 2HJ, please click the links below. Thank you very much for your continued support!
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We also welcome your comments and thoughts. Mail us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and follow us on Twitter for the latest news about food banking in Japan (@2HJ_en in English, @2ndharvestjapan in Japanese).
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