A Maine charitable organization already established in the Philippines is reaching out to make sure donations count.

According to Jamie Charles, secretary of His Hands Support Ministries, the organization has been working with charities and ministries in the Philippines since 2011.

The group, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization centered in New Vineyard, has been working to help children all over the world since 2003. Although the group’s main focus has been children and education, the recent typhoon has redirected its efforts in the devastated island nation.

Charles said the group usually operates much like the Christian Children’s Fund, where families sponsor a child and are tied directly to that child and family’s needs.

His Hands Support in the Philippines is based in Baguio City in the northern region of the island Luzan, far from the destruction left in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan. This, according to Charles, is a good thing.

“Because they are not affected,” Charles said, “they make a good springboard.”

Charles said charities her group is affiliated with in Luzan are gathering money and possibly some material goods in the north to bring to the Tacloban region to aid victims, so they know aid is going where it is needed.

Locally, Charles said her organization is not accepting material donations, only cash, for  logistical reasons.

“For us, it isn’t practical to send material goods,” she said, “It’s hard, because we know in situations like this people like to give an item.”

She said the cost of shipping an item, say, a crib, could purchase 50 cribs in the Philippines.

Charles said she received an unexpected donation on Monday from a business in California, and although she was surprised, she was told her group was selected because 100 percent of the proceeds go to the relief effort.

Charles said no administrative costs are deducted for either their typhoon relief donations or children sponsorship programs.

Although not affiliated with a specific church or denomination, Charles referred to her organization as a Christian group comprised of many traditions.

People interested in donating to the typhoon relief effort through His Hands Support Ministries are encouraged to visit their website, hishandssupportministries.org, and follow the links to the donation button.

Charles said they are also accepting checks that may be mailed to His Hands Support Ministries, P.O. Box 62, New Vineyard, ME 04956. She asks donors to write “typhoon relief” on their donations.

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