Filipino communities around the U.S. are mobilizing to help their stricken homeland. In California,

Описание: (12 Nov 2013)
Filipino communities around the U.S. are mobilizing to help their stricken homeland.
In Southern California, home to the largest community of outside the Philippines with about 1 million Filipinos, news of the storm hit especially hard and fundraising efforts, from 5K walks to church rummage sales, attracted hundreds as word spread about missing loved ones and harrowing tales of survival.
Many worried that their homeland would be permanently crippled by the typhoon, which came just weeks after last months 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Bohol that killed 198 people.
The county just suffered a one-two punch.
The United States can probably weather that kind of devastation, but not the Philippines.
It's just a poor country," said Bing de la Vega, who is organizing relief efforts through the nonprofit Philippine Emergency Disaster Relief Organization.
A 5K fundraiser was held Sunday in Van Nuys, north of Los Angeles, raised $7,000 in four hours and another, larger, fundraiser is in the works for early December, maybe an invitation-only, plated dinner at a fancy Los Angeles restaurant, de la Vega said.
Churches were also rushing to get donations together.
The Filipino Disciples Christian Church in Los Angeles raised $400 over the weekend between an impromptu rummage sale and a special offering at Sundays service.
The 60-member church is continuing to collect goods for another rummage sale next weekend.

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