Needs

Hair dryers. Electric fans. Irons. Sewing machines. Adult diapers for Grandma or Grandpa. Bicycles, bicycles, bicycles. 

And food. We need more food. 

Oh, and the city government is closing the shelters earlier than expected. The shelters close at the end of June. 

Yokohama City has more abandoned bicycles than it can handle. 100 of them are coming to Iwaki City. 

Each of these dry-looking facts comes with a face. A life. A story. Some are ready for the shelters to close. Others are not. 

"I need a bicycle for my daughter to ride to school. Someone told me to just keep asking for one here each time I come for relief goods. So I'm writing it on the request form again." 

"What do I make for supper tonight? We're short on rice so I'd like to make pizza for the kids, but   Grandpa won't eat that. Do I have the budget to get him some fish?"

I'm a little uncertain about the shelters closing. Maybe because I've met some kids who live there. Maybe because I can't quite imagine what helping the evacuees will look like afterward. This will bring new needs and will change how we come alongside. 

Many evacuees are already in apartments. Others live with relatives or neighbors. A lot of them are out of work. The ones who were near the nuclear plant just want to go home. Some duck the barricades and go home anyway to salvage supplies. Some burglars are starting to loot the empty houses in the evacuation zone. 

This crisis is far from over. 

9 AM. Time for the morning meeting, then getting to work for the day. 

Ready.