Dear Friends and Family,

Today it has been one year since the day of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. It has been a day of silence and reflection.

In memorial today, I was with a small community group at Nakamura Shrine to observe a minute of silence at 2:46pm, the time when the magnitude 9.0 earthquake began. Afterward, we prayed in Shinto tradition. Following the memorial, I went to the sea side to pray for those who were lost and reflect on how to help our friends and Japanese family move forward from these immense hardships.

It has been a somber day of reflection, thought, and prayer. In those thoughts, I have so much gratitude for all the love and support that has been extended to people in Eastern Tohoku since the disasters.

I want to thank you for your generosity in supporting Friends of Soma. Through your care, I have been able to extend your love, care, and support to children living in Soma and Shinchi, Fukushima, Japan. Through your help we have been able to help many children in the area; we have contributed to sports and study needs of students who who lost their homes due to tsunami and/or nuclear emergency evacuation, we have contributed to a Soma Tsunami orphan scholarship, we have purchased warm winter wear for children living at a Soma Children’s Home, and have purchased art supplies for children at the same home.

Unfortunately, I will be leaving Japan in August, so I have wrapped up Friends of Soma fundraising, however, I will continue my volunteer work here until I leave the area. At the moment, I am arranging to use final Friends of Soma funds to purchase small gifts of comfort for nursery school children that I work with, specifically for children who lost a parent in the disaster.

I thank you again for the love and kindness your generosity has given to children in my community.

Peace and Love,

Katherine Geeraert

January 4th was a great day at Soma Children’s Home! Graphic Artist (& volunteer) Aaron Geeraert visited the Home. Working with volunteer Ms. Hangui as translator, Aaron facilitated a lesson on pencil sketching, focusing on faces & portraits. As a final activity, the children worked in pairs sketching portraits of their partners. Afterwards, Aaron sketched portraits of some of the children! So rad!

Aaron Geeraert, thank you so much for bringing brilliant smiles to the children living at Soma Children’s Home!

Thanks so much to Chizuko Hangui for working with us as translator again!

…and to Friends of Soma supporters…I thank you always.

Peace, Love, Gratitude, & XO!

*pictures of the children’s faces cannot be shown in order to protect the anonymity of the children living at the Home**

It has been a really busy season for volunteering and teaching in Soma and Shinchi. I wasn’t able to spend Christmas with my family in Canada, but  was so lucky to have many incredible opportunities to share love & peace with many wonderful new and old friends in Soma and Shinchi. I have had many volunteer opportunities these past few months working with children aged 4-18. Every day I learn incredible things through the incredible experiences I continue to have working as a teacher and volunteer in Fukushima.

Since October, I have had the opportunity to volunteer as a Home Communications Manager between Soma Children’s Home & the NPO  “Living Dreams”.  Living Dreams has linked up with the group Smile Kids Japan to create the “Tohoku Kids Project” to help bring care, support, and funding to enrich the lives and well being of children living in Children’s Homes in areas affected by the disaster.

As HCM, I volunteer regularly at Soma Children’s Home working as a link between the home and Living Dreams to help communicate details of current needs. Through this opportunity, I have been able to work directly with the children as well as the staff. Most recently, I volunteered as Santa Claus for Living Dreams’ “Christmas Wish Program”, delivering gifts and participating in a holiday celebration at the home on December 22nd.

My very close friend, Chizuko Hangai, has been working with me as a volunteer for Friends of Soma and for Living Dreams  since October of this year. I thank her so much for all her continued support as a friend, volunteer, and for her dedicated work as a translator!

Through Friends of Soma we have been able to purchase mittens, gloves, and socks for the children living at the home. Yesterday Chizuko and I delivered these gifts to the children, after which we all  did origami together! I am so thankful for all the support people have given us through fundraising and donations. Through that generosity and kindness we have been able to put a lot of brilliant smiles on many faces.

Next week, we’ll be heading back to the Children’s Home, where professional artist Aaron Geeraert will be delivering an art lesson to a group of students aged 7-18! Friends of Soma donations have helped provide sketchbooks and pencils for the children living there. Chizuko Hangai is graciously donating some of her holiday time to volunteer as a translator to help facilitate the lesson.

Peace, Love, Gratitude, and many Hugs of Thanks!

If you are interested in establishing a connection through drawings with children in Soma-Shinchi area, please contact me anytime!   kat@somafriends.com

xo

Kat

**To protect the identity of the children living at the home, I am only able to post “back facing” photographs of them, of which I don’t have many, as when a camera is present most kids like to smile and say CHIZU!