March 16, 2011 -- The National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) and its members extend our sympathies and hopes for recovery to those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.  Many of our members have relatives, friends, and co-workers who live in or travel to Japan, and this tragedy has had a profound impact on all individuals associated with the Asian community.

We encourage every NAAAP member and the general public to get involved in one or more of the following ways:

• Make an online donation to the NAAAP Fund for Japan Relief  at www.naaap.org.  Our fundraising will run until April 30, 2011.   NAAAP will send all proceeds to Direct Relief International (www.directrelief.org), which will use 100% of donations to provide medical assistance and other critical services for victims of this disaster.  NAAAP is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization and your donations may be tax deductible.  When you donate, you will be asked with which NAAAP chapter you are affiliated, in order to later recognize chapters with the greatest aggregate donations.
  
• Contact your local NAAAP chapter for potential fundraising and service events to aid in the Japan relief and recovery effort.

Thank you for your generosity and prayers.

ABOUT Direct Relief International: Direct Relief International, established in 1948, is a privately-funded humanitarian organization with experience in emergency response and humanitarian health assistance worldwide.  Forbes magazine has rated Direct Relief 100% efficient in fundraising for the eighth time in 2010, and Charity Navigator has awarded Direct Relief an overall rating of 4 stars out of 4 possible stars, with 99% of its operating expenses going directly to help those in need.  Please learn more about their work at www.directrelief.org.