The news every day gets worse and worse. The people of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Somalia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Maldives, Tanzania, Seychelles, and Bangladesh are in need of international aid and many are still in peril as disease threatens to claim as many lives as have already been taken. The people of these countries will be rebuilding for years.

Please consider donating to, and/or getting involved with, the following organizations to help provide relief to these tragically stricken nations.

UNICEF Canada online at www.unicef.ca, or 1-877-955-3111. Donations can also be mailed in to UNICEF Canada, 2200 Yonge St., Suite 1100, Toronto, Ont., M4S 2C6.

World Vision Canada online at www.worldvision.ca, or call 1-800-268-5528.

The Red Cross online at www.redcross.ca, or 1-800-418-1111 – the 24-hour toll free line accepts Visa and Mastercard. You can also mail a cheque made payable to the Canadian Red Cross, earmarked “South East Asia Earthquake and Tidal Wave Relief” to Canadian Red Cross National Office, 170 Metcalfe Street, Suite 300, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2P2. Donations of goods won’t be accepted.

The Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (C.C.O.D.P.) online at www.devp.org, or 1-888-664-3387, or you can mail a cheque to Development and Peace, 5633 Sherbrooke St. East, Montreal, Que., H1N 1A3. The cheque should be marked “Tidal Wave Disaster.”

Oxfam Canada online at www.oxfam.ca or 1-800-466-9326.

Christian Children’s Fund of Canada Donations can be made at www.ccfcanada.ca following the link to “Devastating Earthquake and Tsunami Hit South Asia”. As well, donations can be marked as Earthquake and Tsunami Relief and sent by mail to: Christian Children’s Fund of Canada, 1027 McNicoll Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M1W 3X2. Donations will help provide emergency food, clothing, shelter, medical treatment and construction of housing.

ShareLife online at www.sharelife.org or by phone at (416) 934-3411 or toll-free at 1-800-263-2595.