Japan has begun its recovery from the devastating 8.9 earthquake which hit the country on Friday, March 11. Thousands of lives have been lost and the destruction has been catastrophic. Donations to the Red Cross and other organizations have raised millions of dollars in relief funds but Japan still needs your help.

You can help with the relief efforts through many different ways. A list of some places you can donate to are below:

• Red Cross: Donate $10 just by texting REDCROSS to 90999. The Red Cross has also set up an online donation form for the Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami victims.
   
• Salvation Army: Donate $10 by texting either JAPAN or QUAKE to 80888. You can also donate online or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY. You can also connect with the Salvation Army on Facebook and Twitter.
   
• Global Giving: Donate $10 by texting JAPAN to 50555. There is also an online donation form for the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund.
   
• For even more options on how to donate to other great causes, click here to view USA Today's guide or CNN's "How you can help" page.
   
• National Earthquake Consolidation Page has a comprehensive look at the latest news coming out of Japan.
   

REMEMBER! Always be sure that you are donating to a legitimate cause. Click here for some great tips about the Japan earthquake relief efforts from Charity Navigator.

Looking for a loved one in Japan? Below are some resources that may help:

• According to the Red Cross, the best way to contact or locate U.S. citizens living or traveling in Japan is to contact the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services, at 1-888-407-4747 or (202) 647-5225.
   
• American Red Cross: Search for a loved one on the Safe and Well website.
   
• Google: Get the latest news, resources, maps and much more at the Crisis Response project page.
   
• Google's Person Finder has a full database complete with thousands of records.

The Boston Red Sox support Japan relief efforts:

Led by Red Sox pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka, a native of Tokyo, Japan, and Hideki Okajima, from Kyoto, Japan, the team encouraged fans to consider making donations through the team charity, the Red Sox Foundation. 100 percent of donations received will be directed to the Red Cross relief efforts now underway in Japan.  The Red Sox Foundation has committed to donate $50,000, and Matsuzaka and Okajima, along with fellow pitchers Junichi Tazawa and Itsuki Shoda, are each making personal donations. For more information visit redsox.com/japan or redsoxfoundation.org.