Help me help Japan! $1,000 and counting

So last week I found out about an opportunity to go to Japan and help with the Tsunami clean up efforts during the month of August. The LDS Church's Helping Hands Volunteer Network (MHH) is organizing service tours to the Tohoku region and supplying housing for anyone who can come.
So far more than 10,000 MHH volunteers have given more than 100,000 hours of service, but there is still a huge mess to clean up. Specifically, there is a need for boots on the ground to go through the rubble and help clean out houses and gardens, and help residents salvage their belongings.

I served an LDS mission in Japan for two years when I was nineteen and the QB and I took Mr. Baseball back to Japan five years ago to teach English. We love Japan, the people, the land, and the culture and were as shocked and devastated as everyone by the footage coming out of Tohoku. I've wondered for a long time about a concrete way to help, and this service opportunity really feels like a good fit.

My brother Jason and I have decided we'd like to go help for a week during the first of August, but while we have the room in our schedule and the youth in our backs to do it, we don't necessarily have the money. I'm a graduate student and he's trying to get a new business off the ground and left to our own budgets, a service trip like this would be impossible.

We've put the word out to family, friends, and the world of Facebook and the response has been incredible.

We have raised nearly a $1,000 dollars already in just five days. However, the minimum cost to make this trip work will be closer to $1800.

If you or anyone you know would like to help out, please contact us soon.

Your donation, whether $200 dollars or $20, will directly contribute to 10 working days of labor in the clean up effort (five each) and will be greatly appreciated by us and the people we serve in Japan.

If you've wanted to do something concrete to help, and wanted to see your financial contributions in action, then this is a great opportunity.

If you've already donated, thank you. And please, pass on the word.

Thanks!

joey dot franklin at gmail dot com.