Inside a small room in the Joe Crowley Student Union, a group of young people is doing more than just folding paper. They're trying to send a message.

"Today we are making paper cranes," says Kayoko Watanabe, an international studies student at UNR. "Personally, I think crane has a meaning of wish or prayer to other people."

The colorful origami cranes are just a small part of a larger effort to help victims in Japan. Some of the students in the room grew up in the area that's been hit the hardest.

"That's my elementary school," says Yuki Takahashi, as he points to a picture on his computer screen of a van that has slammed into a building.

Takahashi is a sophomore at UNR, majoring in political science, but he's originally from Ishinomaki in Japan. His parents and 19-year-old brother are still in that area. His parents were at work and his brother was in school in Sendai, Japan.

"My little brother called me yesterday on Skype and he was crying and he was so upset and he cannot think about anything else. That's the only thing that he can think about is the nuclear disaster and he was so pessimistic and he was even telling me that he might suffer by radiation," says Takahashi. "He kept crying, crying. And I couldn't say anything."

But Takahashi has turned his feelings of helplessness into action. He and friends have started the Pacific Friends Fund. They're hoping to raise $50,000 to send to Japan.

"It's an obligation. It's my responsibility to raise money here. To send American people's voice and kindness and sympathy," says Takahashi.

There are at least 20 members in the group so far. They're still working on a website that they want to use to accept donations. They're also trying to get permission from the college to collect donations on campus. In addition, they're hoping local businesses will allow them to set up collection boxes.

While these students are working on raising funds, they're making those paper cranes to give to donors.

"To try and say thank you to everybody," says Kayoko Watanabe. In the meantime, she is developing a strong bond to the others in the group, who also have family in Japan and know how difficult it is watching the disaster unfold so far away.

"I feel they are my little brothers and sisters," she says of her peers in the room. "I'm really far from my other family members, but us getting together here, I can have lots of support and work together."

"I lost my best friend," says Yuki Takahashi. "My best friend died and my aunt is still missing." Takahashi is only 21, but he feels much older. And he feels his brother, who is so scared in Japan, has also matured from this tragedy.

"We got to step forward. We got to do something," he says.

Pacific Friends Fund has set up a facebook account under the name: Pacific Friends Fund. They also have a twitter account at PFFreno. To contact the members, send an email to pacificfriendsfund@gmail.com.

UPDATE: The Japanese students at UNR have put up their website! Folks can now visit it online and even make donations there. They've also posted pictures sent to them from family and friends in the devastated areas. Go to Pacificfriendsfund.org for more information.

Contact: Kayoko Watanabe: kayokowatanabe.jp@gmail.com (775) 232-4561