Couple Ideas for Katrina Relief
Sep. 2nd, 2005 10:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sandmansisterFrom ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
maximumbob re: Red Cross:
"Bravo if you have considered donating to the Red Cross for relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina! Much needed and a good idea. However I've been pointing this out to everyone, try NOT to earmark your donations 'for Hurricane Katrina relief' unless you feel you HAVE to. The Red Cross' charter forbids them from using donations for anything other than what they are earmarked for. This sounds like a good idea in theory, however the Red Cross currently has literally hundreds of millions of dollars that were donated for Tsunami relief only. The Red Cross has already spent all they really can in that area and now have this huge chunk of change that they can't spend on ANYTHING else (like hurricane relief) meanwhile their general fund is running really low.
I only know this because I know someone that works at the National HQ of the Red Cross. Please pass this info around."
Another concept from Jessie on KDGE - items donated are good, cash is better. But also consider gift cards to Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, etc. It gives the victims some sense of control and they can keep some semblance of dignity instead of being reduced to begging for hand-me-downs--not that any sane person would accuse them of that but in emotionally vulnerable times like these, well... I can see where it might get even depressing/debilitating.
Just my $0.02.
Forcing myself to focus on what I can do because if I start to try and comprehend the enormity of it, I will drown in my grief... and that helps precisely NO ONE. I will do what I can until I can do no more and that, my friends, is that.
maximumbob re: Red Cross:"Bravo if you have considered donating to the Red Cross for relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina! Much needed and a good idea. However I've been pointing this out to everyone, try NOT to earmark your donations 'for Hurricane Katrina relief' unless you feel you HAVE to. The Red Cross' charter forbids them from using donations for anything other than what they are earmarked for. This sounds like a good idea in theory, however the Red Cross currently has literally hundreds of millions of dollars that were donated for Tsunami relief only. The Red Cross has already spent all they really can in that area and now have this huge chunk of change that they can't spend on ANYTHING else (like hurricane relief) meanwhile their general fund is running really low.
I only know this because I know someone that works at the National HQ of the Red Cross. Please pass this info around."
Another concept from Jessie on KDGE - items donated are good, cash is better. But also consider gift cards to Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, etc. It gives the victims some sense of control and they can keep some semblance of dignity instead of being reduced to begging for hand-me-downs--not that any sane person would accuse them of that but in emotionally vulnerable times like these, well... I can see where it might get even depressing/debilitating.
Just my $0.02.
Forcing myself to focus on what I can do because if I start to try and comprehend the enormity of it, I will drown in my grief... and that helps precisely NO ONE. I will do what I can until I can do no more and that, my friends, is that.
