There is always hope.

This is what has led a group of Canadian- and Japanese-Jasperites to create Jasper to Japan 4 Humanity, an organization hoping to utilize the resources of the community to enable the town to offer a consolidated and heartfelt statement of compassion to the people of Japan.

According to Jasper to Japan 4 Humanity, the community of Jasper celebrates a long and rich history with Japan. Programs like the Hakone exchange, families hosting high school students; Chamber of Commerce business trips; the large number of Japanese youth who come to live and work in Jasper, and the millions of Japanese who have visited the town over the years has created a web of relationships throughout the community. Those connections led to the creation of this group, co-founded by many, but starting with just one phone call.

Sherrill Meropoulis, a co-founder and member of Jasper to Japan 4 Humanity, is a long-time local who knew that the situation in Japan needed to be addressed locally. 

“I am just one of the many who answered the call to help,” she said.

Sherrill began by calling those she knew take action, come together and create synergy.

“Everybody has a contribution to make,” she said. “We all have a role and something different to offer.”

After their initial meeting, the founding members of Jasper to Japan 4 Humanity agreed that this idea had great potential. They felt that co-ordinating and consolidating the various community and personal efforts would enable the community of Jasper, as a whole, to make a stronger statement to the people of Japan. Jasper to Japan 4 Humanity was formed with three clear goals: to create a central gathering point for community fundraising efforts through a local bank account that will accept funds on behalf of the community of Jasper; to provide charitable donation receipts to individuals and corporations through the sponsorship of one of their local charitable organizations and; to minimize overlap, duplication and conflict of events through a web-based registry of fundraising events and donation opportunities.

According to their website, https://sites.google.com/site/jaspertojapan4humanity, the group is immediately taking steps to solidify the foundation. This includes a bank account, identification of a charitable organization to accept donations, and a website for communication and an events registry.

Sue Cesco, group member, said the creation of this group has really brought to light the positive relationship and connection Jasper has with Japan. 

“I joined because I thought that something needed to be done in the community,” she said. “Every individual can help in their own way.”

“It’s important to know that this group extends well beyond Jasper,” said Sherrill. “It goes all the way to Japan.”

Enter Yayoi Hida, who came to Jasper from Japan for six months two years ago, and has returned for a month’s vacation. Yayoi has been using her connections in Osaka, Japan, to make her contributions to the group.

“I have a friend in Osaka who has designed the group’s logo and has it posted on his blog for us,” she said.

Yayoi interpreted the logo, which is filled with colourful imagery.

“In the left corner are a maple leaf and mountains that represent Jasper. From that image a rainbow connects the Jasper image to an image of the sun (Japan). It’s like a bridge,” she said.

There are two birds in the centre of the design, which Yayoi says represent the people of Jasper and the people of Japan. In the forefront of the image are two hands clasped together representing the hope that this group is aspiring to give with their efforts.

Sue pointed out that on another of the group’s logos, the word “Humanitea” is spelled out. The play on the word “tea” is in line with a program the group hopes to begin very soon.

“One of our ideas is to have a tea program, wherein Japanese tea would be available around the community, with all proceeds going to Jasper to Japan 4 Humanity. We hope to be able to have the Humanitea project run throughout the summer to address the needs even after the public has shifted focus.”

Hitomi Teshima has been in Jasper since 2008, and works at Open Country at Jasper Park Lodge. She has been contributing by designing the website for the group.

“We are trying to show what we are doing in a nice, simple and easy way,” she said, adding that there is a calendar set up on the site, providing dates and times for various events and meetings within the community. “We also have a Facebook page and group.”

Hitomi, who has family and friends living in Japan, has been lucky that her family lives in the western part of the country and are safe. But she has friends who have not been so lucky.

“I used to live with a girl from Japan in Ontario for two years and we were best friends,” she said. “Her hometown, in the Iwate prefecture, was one of the parts of Japan hit hard by the earthquake. She was safe in Tokyo at the time, but her boyfriend works as a rescuer back home.”

Hitomi explained that this man has been right in the thick of the rescue efforts and has seen more death and devastation than most people will ever see.

“According to my friend, he is devastated with the chaos,” she said. “He is still on duty, but is suffering from what he has seen.”

Speaking with her friends back home, Hitomi said there are many places where there are not enough supplies – especially gasoline.

“My friend is delivering two cans of gas by train to her home prefecture. In many areas there is no electricity, and the grocery stores are empty. Many little communities are cut off from supplies,” she said and referred again to her friend. “This is a real voice coming from Japan. It’s hurting.”

Hitomi’s father, though he doesn’t work directly at the Fukushima nuclear plant, does work for a company that supplies machinery used at a nearby plant.

“For the first three or four days, we were not sure what was happening with the nuclear situation,” she said. “After speaking with him [in the days following], I never heard my father so unsure of what may happen. That made me anxious.”

Last Wednesday, Hitomi learned that her parents were thinking of bringing her brother’s children, who are in Tokyo, to come to their hometown to stay in western Japan – just in case.

“My father was going to have to go to Taiwan to work for a few weeks and if that happened, I was asked to come home and help to care for the children,” she said. “By [last] Saturday, my father decided that things were improving enough that the children might be able to stay in Tokyo.”

Given her father’s experience working in the nuclear industry, Hitomi said that was definitely positive.

“What my Dad said is that we have to remember that there are close to 200 people working at the site sacrificing their lives to get the plant under control,” she said, adding that the workers face the most dire of circumstances each day. “My Dad was appreciative of their bravery and help. There are many people blaming the government and the company. It may be their fault, but it is time to stop blaming because they are sacrificing their lives to keep the situation contained.”

Ayami Terasaki, part of the newly formed group, arrived in Jasper on March 11 – the same day that her home country was hit with the earthquake and tsunami. Her family is safe, but she has many friends who were not as fortunate.

“I have a friend who is working in Tokyo, but her home town is in Fukushima,” she said. Fukushima is one of the hardest hit areas by the disaster. “For the first little while, she was unable to contact her family, but after connecting with some friends from her hometown, she learned that her friends had spoken with her family. After she contacted her family, she learned that their house was gone, but fortunately they were all safe.”

Ayami also has another friend with family in Fukushima. They were forced to evacuate after the nuclear plant situation became more dire.

“But the shelters are so full, that my friend’s family has had to travel very far to find shelter and with a limited gas supply it is difficult,” she said, adding that many Japanese families want to help others, but they are struggling too.

Sherrill said she and her husband have had over 20 Japanese women and men stay with them over the last 11 years.

“And we still keep in touch with many of them. We have heard different stories from all sides – from people who are safe, to people who are affected in Tokyo and even with one person who has family in an affected area. He has had no word from them.”

Sherrill said that she and the rest of the Jasper to Japan 4 Humanity group hope that people think of the three “H’s”, and are inspired to help in some way.

“For the people who experience a major catastrophe, just behind the immediate rescue is the need for them to have hope (the first H). We want to make sure that people know they are not alone,” she said. “The help (the second H) ties it all together and most importantly, (the third H) is humanity. Connecting with people. As Grandpa Dong said, ‘We are all part of the same community.’”

Hitomi said it’s helpful to stop and take a moment to fully appreciate the involvement that one can have.

“People want hope as much as anything else,” she said. “I have heard that the immediate support has helped people in the country, and the world is coming together and that is helping with people’s fear and stress.”

This Sunday, March 27, the Christian Ministerial of Jasper is hosting the community dinner at the Jasper Activity Centre. Jasper to Japan 4 Humanity will have a separate collection box there to raise donations for their first Humanitea.

“We hope to be serving it and receiving it as well,” said Sue.

Sherrill says that Oka Sushi at JPL and the Candy Bear’s Lair are also getting involved. The businesses are currently donating 10 per cent of their profits to the efforts in Japan.

Individual donations can be made all over town – there are collection tins at many businesses – and CIBC will also be accepting donations. 

To get involved, learn more or make a donation to Jasper to Japan 4 Humanity, visit their website at https://sites.google.com/site/jaspertojapan4humanity, or contact them by email at jaspertojapan4humanity@gmail.com