4Kali

Two years ago, the Firmage family of Mill Valley traveled to Phi Phi Island off the coast of Thailand for the Christmas holiday.They were fortunate to return home, having narrowly survived the Southeast Asia tsunami that washed over the island.

James and Vivian Firmage, and their young daughters Michaela and Caitlin (then 7 and 9 years old), told their harrowing story to the national media over the following days. Apart from the hair-raising details of narrowly escaping and running for their lives, they always recounted one thing: the tremendous generosity of the Thai people. Local islanders, who had lost so much so fast, brought food and supplies to them and other survivors spending the night in the mountain jungle.

“The people who helped us were so amazing,” says Vivian. “When we came home, we had to give back to these people who were so generous to us.”

Upon their return home, James and Vivian organized local fundraisers. Their children sold 3,000 Tsunami relief wristbands at local schools to help rebuild schools in the devastated areas. Caitlin and Michaela donated over $9,000 from the sale of the “Schools Building Schools” wristband program.

The Firmages have made two return trips to Phi Phi Island and neighboring areas, and with the money raised in Marin they have helped to build new school buildings and provide food and clothing for those still in refugee camps.They bought refrigerators and washing machines for people they came across in need—right on the spot.

“We saw the friends who helped us in the jungle,” says Michaela of her first trip back last January.“They were getting a lot of help to rebuild and to get a life again.”

The family is making another trip back to Southern Thailand this Christmas holiday, when Vivian, a dentist (known professionally as Dr. Broadway), will be providing free dental care to local orphans on Phi Phi island and Khao Lak. Their long term plans will help to pay for local dentists providing on-going care.

“We’re gifting in our own way,” says James, who works at Wells Fargo Bank in San Francisco.“We’re making a statement with direct aid.We’re taking ourselves and what we believe in and going directly to the place.”

“A lot of people think ‘Oh, I’m just one person. What can I do?’,” says 12 year-old Caitlin.“Yet one little thing can make a big difference in a person’s life. And then they might help somebody else, who then helps another. So one person’s effort can go a long way.”

The Firmage family has partnered with the www.4Kali.org foundation, a nonprofit that shares their passion for “helping people help themselves” in tsunami impacted areas.Donations for Firmage family projects sponsored through this organization can be earmarked “Firmage Project”.