OAKLAND, Calif. – Members of the National Meat Association have been requested by NMA to get involved and help an estimated half-million disaster survivors in Japan who were left homeless by the recent earthquake and tsunami. Japan has an immediate need for essential supplies like food and medicine.

Both the Japan America Society (
http://www.jascolorado.org/donate.php) and the American Red Cross (http://www.americanredcross.org/) are currently accepting donations to support disaster relief efforts helping people affected by the earthquake in Japan and the tsunami throughout the Pacific, said NMA spokesman Jeremy Russell. There will also be a continuing need for food for those who have been displaced. To address this long-term need, the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF), of which NMA is a member, is establishing a Japan Relief Program that will create a sustained effort after the spotlight has left those in need.

“NMA recommends that its members consider food donations, especially of ready-to-eat items,” Russell said. “Our staff is working with USMEF in order to meet crisis needs.”

More information on the USMEF Japan Relief Program can be obtained by email atjhinners@usmef.org.