Every month in this space we publish an editorial on
something of importance to the West Coast maritime industry. Sometimes the
column is easy to write; other times it’s particularly difficult. This month
should have been an easy one, given some of the topics laid out for us on a
silver platter, including:
- China’s recently announced plans to board and search ships that enter what it considers its territory in the disputed South China Sea.
- 800 ILWU Local 63 Clerks walking off the job in opposition to technological advances, and taking 7,000 Local 13 workers with them.
- The pact (finally!) between Canada and Denmark over their shared Arctic Sea border.
- The looming fiscal cliff.
But instead of scolding longshoremen or signaling alarm at
China’s sudden appetite for expansion, we’ve decided to use this month's column
to remind our readers of the charities that work year-round to make a
difference in the lives of those less fortunate, and their particular need
during the holidays – this year more than most.
A charity near to our heart here at Philips Publishing Group
is the Catholic Seafarers’ Center of Seattle (www.catholicseafarercenter.org).
The Seafarer’s Center, which opened its doors in 1940, is a social service
agency in the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle, whose mission is to meet
the spiritual and practical needs of seafarers and maritime workers visiting
and living in Seattle. The center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday, and offers seafarers the opportunity to relax among their peers
and enjoy coffee, tea, and pastries (donated by Starbucks) or soft drinks and
snacks available for purchase. They can take a complimentary copy of Pacific
Maritime Magazine from a beautiful wood magazine rack donated by our
friends at Crowley Maritime in memory of our founder, Richard H. Philips.
In addition to games and activities like ping-pong, pool,
and foosball, there are several computers and printers available to check email
or print documents. The center also provides a bank of telephones, and staff
sells phone cards, SIM Cards, stamps, postcards, and other items often
requested by seafarers. The center provides assistance with money transfers at
a nearby banking location and directions and excursions to neighborhood drug stores,
convenience stores, and attractions. The center’s chaplain Fr. Tony Haycock, is
available to come on board visiting ships to say Mass, hear confession, and
make other pastoral visits.
In San Pedro Bay, the International Seafarers Center,
(562-432-7560) located at the Port of Long Beach, is a full-service,
non-profit, non-denominational seamen’s facility operating in the harbor area.
The center offers free van transportation for officers and crewmembers from
marine terminals to the center and to local shopping. The center offers many of
the same services and amenities as the Seattle center, and is open afternoons
and nights until 11 p.m.
Both of these centers provide a clean, safe environment for
seafarers who are far from home during the holidays, and always need donations,
which are tax deductible, from individuals or organizations.
Another group that needs help over the holidays is the US
Marine Corps Reserve. They don’t want you to storm a beach or jump out of an
airplane, but they can really use your help with their Toys for Tots program
(www.toysfortots.org), which collects new, unwrapped toys during October,
November and December each year, and distributes those toys as Christmas gifts
to less fortunate children in the community. Visit the website to find a
drop-off location near you or just send cash online from your desk, and imagine
the joy your toy will bring to a child.
Another great charity to remember during the holidays is the
Wounded Warrior Project, which serves veterans and service members who incurred
a physical or mental injury, illness, or wound while serving our country on or
after September 11, 2001, and the program helps the families those who served
as well. Individuals can donate at www.woundedwarriorproject.org, and companies
can register to raise funds for the program at the same site.
Finally, the Salvation Army (www.salvationarmyusa.org) is
helping those who have little or nothing this holiday season with services such
as food, shelter and emotional support, including those Americans who were left
with nothing in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Individuals can drop a few bucks
in a red kettle or donate online, and companies and organizations can sign up
for monthly “sustainer” programs.
The new year will no doubt bring many opportunities for us
to comment on China, the ILWU and Arctic navigation, but for now we’ll enjoy
the holidays with our families and wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy
(and prosperous) New Year.
Correction: One of our astute readers, Max Denise, pointed out
that a word we used several times in this space last month, liquefecation, was
not really a word. He’s right – the correct word is liquefaction, and we regret
the error, and while our opinion is that liquefecation should be a
word, we’ll use liquefaction to describe the conversion of methane from a gas
to a liquid from now on.
