The Chengdu expat community is rallying to support locals in relief and recovery efforts to overcome this disaster. Foreigners want to give and want to personally help the victims of this natural disaster in anyway they can. Under the auspices of local expat businesses, appeals have begun for donations.

Peter Goff, in partnership with Chengdu residents and through the cooperation of The Bookworm, is leading one of these appeals.

The Bookworm is a bustling expat online community on book and culture-related activity and has branches in Beijing, Chengdu, and in Suzhou of East China's Jiangsu province.

The Bookworm Chengdu has become a focal point in assisting expat support for quake victims. Smaller groups, such as Heart to Heart and Morning Tears, are also providing food, water, shelter and medicines.

Expat music acts, including the Bossma Band, Mark on the Piano, Proximity Butterfly and Red Water performed to raise funds at a Bookworm event last Thursday.

Heart to Heart also gave a short presentation on their current operations in the affected areas. From the successful one night, more than 33,000 yuan ($4,700) was raised in funds from about 100 members of the local expat community to be directly used by local groups in the relief effort.

Further donations, especially cash, are still welcomed by the groups. Much needed items include: non-perishable food, basic medicines, tents, blankets, sleeping bags, stretchers, small power-generators, small water sanitation equipment, and simple housing materials.

The local expat community is also committed to helping fellow residents in the medium to longer-term community recovery efforts.

This community recovery process is held together by communication of information which enables people to know what is needed, co-ordinate their activities and avoid creating additional problems.

Sichuan expats centered on the activities of The Bookworm are moving forward to helping interpret the information on all current relief operations and exactly where and when people can help to make a difference to those affected by the disastrous earthquake.

For more information regarding donations and recovery efforts, contact The Bookworm on (+86) 028 85520177.

The author is Australian Youth Ambassador for Development with the Chengdu Urban Rivers Association

(China Daily May 19, 2008)