Charitable organizations in Kansai that need your support

They say charity begins at home: Here are a number of Kansai-based NPOs, charities and organizations striving to continue their good work in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Your support is welcome!

The annual Kobe Global Charity Festival (KGCF) has been raising funds for children in Asia and Africa for 40 years, but the 2020 festival has been cancelled due to COVID-19. This has seriously impacted the groups partnering with KGCF. If you are interested in volunteering for the 2021 festival, or would like to donate to one of their beneficiaries, contact them at the above link. Among the groups that work with KFCF are Bokk Jambaar, an NGO supporting women and children in Senegal, and the Family & Friends Project, an NPO fostering education and welfare for youngsters in Nepal.

If you took time to declutter your closets while staying home, you might have some items to donate. Based in Nada-ku in Kobe, Orange Thrifty will gladly accept gently used clothing and shoes for their thrift store. Proceeds support several local charities.

Love animals? The following organizations welcome donations of time, money or goods. Or maybe even adopt a special ‘fur-ever friend’ from among the cats or dogs looking for a home: Japan Cat Network (JCN, Kyoto and Tokyo) and Animal Refuge Kansai (ARK, Osaka and Tokyo)

Based in Kobe, FACIL is an NPO offering language support for the international community, and working with government agencies and medical institutions. FACIL are currently busy providing  COVID-19-related support, and volunteer translators and interpreters are welcome. There is a particular need for people who understand Nepalese, Vietnamese, Arabic or Burmese.

Kobe Union Church are looking for food donations to assist international families struggling amid the current climate. Please email pastors@kobeunionchurch.com if you can help.

And speaking of food, here is a way to enjoy a great meal while helping those in need: Gochiso is a bilingual mobile app (Android or iOS) that connects consumers to local shops and restaurants, making it easier to order from their online stores while also allowing 5% of all purchases to be donated to a nonprofit cause of your choice. With the downturn in the economy, they are also looking for volunteers and interns to help expand their programs to further support their partner business and non-profits.

Header Image: Kobe Global Charity Festival