There are many ways to volunteer to help Tohoku recover, even now. The phase has gone from “Emergency” to “Recovery”. During the “Emergency” phase, soup kitchens, mud removal, debris removal, provisions delivery were critical. Now, during “Recovery”, the work itself has changed, but it’s just as important.

During “Recovery” the focus is on rebuilding crucial industries such as fishing and farming – allowing people to get back to work. Another key area is PTSD treatment – caring for victims and helping them overcome the tremendous pain of their loss. These are just two of the many needs during the “Recovery” phase.

While there are quite a few options if you are seriously interested in volunteering (either long-term or short-term), here are 2 organizations that were very active when Stu was in Tohoku immediately after the quake. They continue to lead the way towards recovery.

JEN is Pray for Japan’s charity partner – our film’s partners will be donated to this non-profit organization. They have been on the ground in Tohoku from the very beginning and are compassionate leaders if you are interested in volunteering with a focused, intimate group of doers.

Peace Boat is a large non-profit organization that set up a base immediately after the earthquake and tsunami hit. Through their infrastructure, they were able to take on thousands of volunteers, working with the Ishinomaki Volunteer Center. Volunteering through Peace Boat is especially good for very short trips and larger groups of volunteers.