Please take a moment to donate directly to on-the-ground organizations.

It's been nearly a week since Typhoon Haiyan, the strongest hurricane in a generation, battered the Philippines, leaving unimaginable devastation in its wake. According to initial estimates, over 10,000 people dead, millions more shelterless and struggling to survive, as other storms threaten to wreck havoc on the archipelago.

The hurricane comes just three weeks after a 7.2 earthquake brought down buildings and infrastructure in central Philippines. As the international aid industrial complex sluggishly awakens from its slumber, hundreds of on-the-ground grassroots organizations are doing much of the heavy lifting, providing aid to hardest hit areas, places in which the government and international relief organizations are visibly absent.

These organizations need support, not only because the storm has drastically strained their resources, but more importantly, because we recognize that for a relief effort to be effective it has to be led by the impacted communities. Help power the people lead recovery efforts currently happening on the ground by donating to National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON). Besides doing valuable work to advance immigration reform in the United States and environmental justice, they work with a network of grassroots Philippine partners, to ensure that donations go directly to those most in need of help, information, and basic necessities. For years, NAFCON has carried out its overseas relief and rehabilitation efforts with partner organizations who maintain a proven track record of serving Filipinos communities with integrity and trust.

For more information check out Occupy Philippines: