SALT sponsors relief effort for Japan disaster

On March 11, a magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck Japan. The earthquake set off tsunami tidal waves and damaged nuclear reactors, leaving people exposed to radiation.

When news spread about the crisis in Japan,  Augustana's Serving and Learning Together (SALT) stepped up to help. Working with Lutheran World Relief (LWR), SALT is hosting a drive for toiletry items to create personal care kits that will be sent to the areas of Japan affected by the disaster.

"It has been one of SALT's goals for the past year, and here on out, to raise awareness of national and international disasters," SALT advisor and director of first year residential programs and volunteer services Billy Thomas said. "That is why in the past year we have tried to help make Augie more aware of the earthquake in Haiti, flooding in Pakistan and the earthquake and tsunami in Japan this spring."

The drive started April 1 and will end May 3 with a bundling party in the 3-in-1 room during the supper hour so students can help assemble the care kits.

"We decided to start a drive because we wanted to give the students the opportunity to help those affected," SALT secretary sophomore Laura Goemann said. "We decided on the personal care kits with Lutheran World Relief because we felt the items were easy to obtain and would be really helpful for those affected in Japan. We've worked with them [LWR] before and wanted to again because the partnership works well."

Items that are being collected for the kits are bath-size towels (dark color preferred), bath-size bars of soap (any brand, in original wrapping), adult-size toothbrushes in their original package, sturdy combs and metal nail clippers.

Personal care kit items can be dropped off in the designated boxes in residence halls or at student services. With two weeks of the drive left and drop-off points scattered around campus, it is difficult to estimate how many items have been collected so far.

After the personal care kits have been assembled, SALT will send the packages to Lutheran World Relief in the Twin Cities, where they will then be sent to the designated target areas in Japan.

SALT reformulated in January 2010 and is also known as the Volunteer Service Advisory Board. The group has sponsored 13 service events this year, including the Pakistan flood relief bake sale, Christmas giving, the Boys and Girls Club renovation and Spring Clean-Up/Food Drive.