[Previous entry: "Cleanup: Day One"] [Next entry: "Cleanup: Day Two"]

10/09/2005: "Aid (or not)"

I'm working on my entry for the second day of hurricane cleanup, but in the meantime, I needed to post a quick gripe.

If anyone wants to know exactly what kind of aid we have received as a result of Katrina, email me, and I'll tell you. You may be surprised to know were some of your donations have gone--or where they haven't.

Just so you know, we have received nothing from the Red Cross. I have no idea where the money they've received--money like the $500,000,000 donated by Kuwait--has gone. Maybe it's gone to pay for salaries, like the $450,000/yr paycheck the president/CEO gets. But one thing I know, is that the only aid my family and others have received are tetanus shots.

Granted, the Red Cross has put refugees up in hotels, and that's got to cost a lot of money. But I've seen estimates that have said that if the Red Cross gave everyone who has been displaced by hurricane Katrina and Rita what the Red Cross has raised in donations, every hurricane victim would receive $200,000.

So where is the money going?

Ditto with other charities.

Wanna know where most of the aid my community got came from? The National Guard. THEY gave us food, water, and ice. They came to homes and helped put tarps up (Operation Blue Roof--funded by FEMA and done by Army troops.) They patrolled to prevent looting. They helped with whatever they could, whenever you asked.

The Salvation Army brought clothes to local fire departments, and they opened up hot food stands. They also drove through neighborhoods giving out bowls of chili and water.

That has been the extent of aid we've seen. Without friends, family, and the writing community, we'd be in serious trouble. Without the National Guard and the Salvation Army, we'd have been pretty damned thirsty and hungry.

I know the Red Cross does good things. It offers some awesome programs, and they are responsible for saving millions of lives. But they need a serious kick in the ass for their hurricane response.

I'm going to go stand in line.

UPDATE: After speaking with the local Red Cross director, I learned that FEMA is paying them back for the hotel rooms that evacuees are staying in. So again, what in the world is the Red Cross doing with the money?

Replies: 17 brave souls responded

on Sunday, October 9th, Blanche said

Saw a reference to your site on Holly Lisle's site and thought I would check it out. Just would like to let you know that Target is again, the second year in a row, not allowing the Salvation Army kettles near their stores during the holidays. Seems they have a political view difference with them. Walmart and another top store chain still welcomes them.
Anyone who provides help to those in need should be supported.
On a smaller note, I have heard many a comment from those who have served during WWII, they would not support the Red Cross. Seems they were asked to provide payment for things they needed. Maybe its time some organizations should be looked into.

on Sunday, October 9th, Amy said

It's infuriating. Thanks for a slice of reality, Larissa, because as you probably guessed, the media isn't reporting that side of the story--at least not that I've seen.

on Sunday, October 9th, F. O'Brien Andrew said

I have run into the same thing on the West Bank of NOLA. Three Red Cross set-ups around here seem to be congregating areas for employees and/or volunteers. I don't know what they do, but it isn't much.

Free hot meals are here from Good Will, local restaurants are feeding the linemen working on utilities, the National Guard and Army have been tarping roofs and bolstering the weary local cops and fire department but I haven't seen the Red Cross do a damn thing.

I have a buddy living on Causway, blvd that said he has only seen three groups of Red Cross people since he came back, three days after Katrina hit. Each time they were doing interviews for television cameras.

Where the hell is all that money going?

The other day I drove up to Franklinton to apply for some Red Cross assistance. Seems that they were giving out a few hundred bucks to people that were displaced and aren't having all the costs covered by insurance. We have some uninsured expenses that have mounted up, so we drove an hour and a half to sign up. No one closer was doing it, at least none of the Red Cross workers around here knew anything about it. I asked several because I really didn't want to drive all that way.

The Red Cross workers I reached when I got there didn't know what was happening down here on the West Bank. They had no idea that we had to drive so far to get there and fill out paperwork. (Something I would have done on-line if that was possible, but if you go on-line you are told to report to your local RC chapter for relief assistance.)

I wonder if they are always so disorganized or if this is an unusual thing.

Cheers and good luck with salvage and clean-up.

-- F

on Monday, October 10th, Marianne said

It was interesting hearing this "from the horses mouth".

I sent my donations to two places: The Salvation Army and a personal friend who lives in Houston and was able to use the money to personally help some folks out there.

I won't donate to the Red Cross - ever. Two reasons:

1. Their CEO gets WAY too much money (Salvation Army guy gets something like $35,000 a year - poverty wages).

2. My grandfather served in WWI with the RAF - and said that when the soldiers got in from skirmishes or flying raids or whatever, and went to the Red Cross tent for coffee - they were charged for it. CHARGED. Un-freaking-believable.

I will NEVER give any money to the Red Cross. I only wish there was somewhere else to give my blood.

Hang in there... wish I could do more to help.

on Monday, October 10th, EJ said

I'm with Marianne. My stepdad was in the Med during Vietnam, and whenever they'd come into port, the Red Cross and Salvation Army would be set up on the dock with coffee and donuts. RC charged the sailors; SA did not. Guess who went through more coffee and donuts?

on Monday, October 10th, Emma S said

People say I'm crazy for not supporting the red cross, but I'd rather see everything I'm able to give go to someone I know can use it, not risk half of it paying some guys paycheck.

Thanks for the eyeopener, Larissa.

on Monday, October 10th, Lynn Daniels said

I hate that you're still going through this! I've never sent any sizeable donations to the Red Cross, just dropped a couple bucks in a fireman's boot here and there. My husband prefers to donate to the Salvation Army -- then again, his sister and her family are *in* the Salvation Army, so I guess that stands to reason.

Thanks for the eye opener. It's good to know I don't have to feel guilty for my donations going elsewhere.

on Monday, October 10th, Cece said

I already said this at Writeminded, but that's why I won't give the Red Cross a DIME

on Monday, October 10th, Tori said

I'm with everyone else. I won't give the Red Cross anything. I'd much rather give to an oganization I know will actually distribute my donation.

on Monday, October 10th, cj said

You're right. The National Guard was a big help in Miami during hurricane Andrew.

on Monday, October 10th, Shesawriter said

I stopped donating to the Red Cross after the 911 debacle. They lost my trust forever and will NEVER get it back.

Tanya

on Tuesday, October 11th, Martha said

I worked for the Red Cross a number of years ago (briefly!), and I can say from experience that, wherever the money goes, it AIN'T to their worker-peons who work their buns off for next-to-nothing and are treated worse than slave labor. Not surprisingly, their upper-eschalon administrators have no complaints, as witness their erstwhile president/CEO.

on Tuesday, October 11th, Larissa said

Grr. This is all so infuriating. F--ditto...good luck to you. It's horrible to have to go through all of that.

Blanche, I have no idea what the Target/SA thing is, but I have to say that the Salvation Army will get all my donations (well, them and the ASPCA and HSUS) from now on. They have been huge helps, along with hundreds of church groups. The Baptist churches especially have been generous.

Martha, I have great respect for those Red Cross workers who give their time so selflessly. It's too bad the organization doesn't treat them as well as they deserve.

on Wednesday, October 12th, April said

We gave money to the Red Cross early on. But I soon began to wonder where in the world all of it was going too. Guess I know now.

It seems like it's always the smaller, local charities that really make a difference.

How sad. All that money, they could do so much with it...

on Thursday, October 13th, Mir said

Larissa, thanks for explaining about the bleach. I would buy it for my hurricane "kit", but wasn't sure what it was for beyond adding to water in the toilet and drinking water. Now, I know---MOLD!

I've prayed for you and still wish you well. Thank you for the updates.

I did give to the Red Cross. And not a piddling amount, either. I had no idea they were so screwed up.

I"m glad I gave MORE to the Salvation Army, and also to the SBC-NAMB, which doesn't use ANY money for salaries (all volunteers) and who already had a presence in the affected areas. They give updates to my inbox regularly on what they're doing for hurricane victims--unlike the Red Cross, I may add.

My church gave half its building fund to the Salvation Army for hurricane relief, and took up a specific collection on top of that for the SA. I'm glad our pastor chose them instead of the RC!!!

Hang in there and God bless you and yours. It's hard to read the updates--so much loss and suffering and so much work to do!--but you'll get there. Your life will be normal again one day.

Hugs,
Mir

on Friday, October 14th, donnamali34@yahoo.com">Donna M said

Larissa,

I would never donate to red cross EVER. You never know what they do with the money.

I sponser family from new orleans, and everytime they go to red cross for help. Red Cross tells them, "we cannot give money yet, until corporate gives us the go ahead". So in the mean time, they are living with other family member in a small military housing, with a total of 23 family members living in the same household. I wrote a letter to red cross to reflect my disappointment in the process of helping other, while expecting massive donations. So for those of you who wonder "where is money going", right to you local congress and red cross.

NO MORE DONATIONS TO RED CROSS.

on Tuesday, October 18th, Shiloh said

Hey Larissa. This is the reason I don't donate to the Red Cross.

They don't handle contributions in the manner they should.

The Salvation Army, United Way~a hundred different organizations that are based thru churches...these are much more deserving of the donations than the Red Cross. in my opinion.