Shortly before 3:00 p.m. in Tokyo on March 11, a massive underwater earthquake struck off the coast of northern Japan. The 8.9-magnitude quake shook buildings as far away as Taiwan and set off tsunami alerts across the Pacific.

Villages in the Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures felt the immediate impact of the earthquake. Minutes later, a tidal wave struck the region. Some reports say the tsunami was 30 feet high when it came ashore.
 

When news of the quake emerged, Heart to Heart mobilized for action. We quickly contacted our relief partners to establish a communications network. As with any crisis, we always want to ensure that our response is exactly what's needed at the local level. Our constant goal is to lead a quality medical response that positively impacts the disaster survivors.
 

While reports started flooding in from Japan, we also kept a watchful eye on the tsunami as it rolled across the Pacific Ocean. Thankfully, many of the Pacific islands were spared the wrath of the tsunami.
 

As the tsunami approaches Central and South America, we are asking our supporters to join us in mobilizing for this crisis and future crises by sponsoring Ready Relief Boxes and packing Heart to Heart care kits.
 

You can make an online donation right now in support of our global crisis response efforts.
 

More news to follow...