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Seems like every time there's a disaster, the reporters are still standing in the rubble or the gale winds, and the Red Cross is on the air raising money.
Then, whether it's 9/11, Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, or you-name-it disaster, the folks on the ground wonder where the heck is the Red Cross.
Friend who was organizing sandbagging crews during the floods in Cedar Rapids said they were watching TV one weary night and on comes an appeal to donate to the Red Cross, but none of them had seen any Red Cross volunteers helping them out. Eventually, the Red Cross was there handing out sandwiches wrapped in plastic wrap, but by then the Rainbow people had been dishing out homemade soup and chili for nearly a week.
After 9/11, there was something of a scandal about how the Red Cross had raised all this money for 9/11 victims but then didn't allocate it. I believe their excuse was they were banking it for future disasters.
Folks doing disaster relief for Hurricane Sandy, were stunned to learn of all the things the Red Cross reported doing. In fact, I believe the Red Cross called their response "flawless." The folks on the ground termed it "invisible." The problem with the Red Cross | Felix Salmon
Now, the Red Cross is fighting a Freedom of Information Act request about its handling of Hurricane Sandy-related fund on the grounds that such information is a "trade secret."
Red Cross attorneys claim that if they revealed their procedures for fundraising and confidential financial information including methods of allocating said moneys, their competitors would be able to mimic their business model.
Given that the Red Cross constantly appeals to all of us for money, it would seem that being open about how much money they raise and how this money is spent should be made readily available.
Unless, of course, there is something else going on.
I don't know, all I know is they are usually the first ones on the scene for disasters big and small. While we were evacuating for Sandy, Red Cross volunteers were driving into the danger, to man shelters for people who couldn't evacuate. They were there to help find housing for people the next day too, and 3 weeks later trying to find generators for people.
I also had a co-worker whose home burned down in the night, and the Red Cross people were there while firemen were still on the scene, finding a hotel room for the family, then the next day a rental, clothes, food, etc.
They are also responsible for just about every pint of blood that someone gets in this country, and teach CPR and lifesaving classes to millions of people every day, saving who knows how many lives. I don't know if their practices are better or worse than any other very large organization, but I think they do a great job overall and have no idea who would replace them if they were no longer around.
I was live tweeting for Sandy along with others, Red cross could not be found for miles for many days. Enough said.... I would donate to Salvation Army, and others whose overhead costs are nil compared to the Red Cross. I have seen many situations from the East Coast to West where they banked money for future and not what intended. One woman came at me on Twitter, who just happened to "volunteer" from West Coast to tell me how much was being done during Sandy. All BS compared to what should have been done and WAS being done by other great groups.
Isn't it lovely all the executive pay, overhead pay, advertising budget to get money away from other great groups. Would be nice if a majority of that was spent on the people intended for or should be for. Enough said I guess rant over. People will still chose to donate and praise them to the high hilt. If you have the heart and money search out Salvation army or many Churches or great groups whose purpose aligns with giving what they collect.
The Red Cross admitted that they raise money for the next emergency during the current emergency. So money they raised during hurricane Sandy will be used during the next emergency. Sounds like they operate under the policy "never let a good emergency go to waste".
Don Imus in the morning radio show, sent his producers out every day during hurricane Sandy to help with the clean-up. He asked them everyday what they saw on the streets. All of them commented that they had never seen the Red Cross. They saw other organization out helping but never the Red Cross. After a while, people started calling in saying that they had never seen them ether.
There have been news paper articles that have reported that the people that run the Red Cross make more money then what a corporation would pay.
The deeper you dig about the Red Cross the funnier it gets.
I don't know, all I know is they are usually the first ones on the scene for disasters big and small. While we were evacuating for Sandy, Red Cross volunteers were driving into the danger, to man shelters for people who couldn't evacuate. They were there to help find housing for people the next day too, and 3 weeks later trying to find generators for people.
They are also responsible for just about every pint of blood that someone gets in this country, and teach CPR and lifesaving classes to millions of people every day, saving who knows how many lives. I don't know if their practices are better or worse than any other very large organization, but I think they do a great job overall and have no idea who would replace them if they were no longer around.
Good to hear you saw Red Cross volunteers driving to man shelters for Hurricane Sandy. Everything I read was that they were nowhere to be seen. Neither people or reporters on the ground could find them. There were no photos in the news about what they were doing and now they are insisting that it is a "trade secret" to reveal what they did, how they spent the money.
As to the Red Cross being responsible for about every pint of blood someone gets, that is not accurate either. There are all sorts of blood donor operations. The Red Cross collects and processes about 40% of the blood supply in this country.
As for the CPR/First Aid/AED classes, that is another way to generate income. In our area, it is $70 for a 5 hour class and a certificate.
Not sure who would replace the Red Cross. Not the question I was asking. I was asking what was up with the Red Cross. They insist they are Johnny-on-the-spot for disasters, but in disaster after disaster that doesn't appear the case and there always seems to be some fuss about where the money actually went.
One thing to keep in mind.. Today Money Pays for Tomorrow's Disaster.
Red Cross, Salvation Army Etc. Has to be ready to go, Everything need to be bought, payed for, and ready for next disaster before it happens.
You can't sit back, wait for the disaster to happen, then do fund raising, and respond a week or two later after the checks clear.
Red Cross, S. Army responds to thing that never make the news. Your house burns down, they will show up, No Live news crew is there to see two red cross volunteers sitting on a curb outside your home at 2am, to get you into a hotel for the night, Give you a debit card for clothing, food, work to replace your med's.
About the flooding. Red Cross, is mostly volunteers. They will bring in (again $'s needed in advance to pay for it) hundreds of volunteers from across the country to help out, but it takes time to stage it. The Cedar Rapids volunteers are limited in number and also involved with there families, the flood, and may not be able to respond to the Sand Bag crew. As Volunteers from outside the area start to arrive, the effort ramps up.
One thing to keep in mind.. Today Money Pays for Tomorrow's Disaster.
Red Cross, Salvation Army Etc. Has to be ready to go, Everything need to be bought, payed for, and ready for next disaster before it happens.
You can't sit back, wait for the disaster to happen, then do fund raising, and respond a week or two later after the checks clear.
Red Cross, S. Army responds to thing that never make the news. Your house burns down, they will show up, No Live news crew is there to see two red cross volunteers sitting on a curb outside your home at 2am, to get you into a hotel for the night, Give you a debit card for clothing, food, work to replace your med's.
About the flooding. Red Cross, is mostly volunteers. They will bring in (again $'s needed in advance to pay for it) hundreds of volunteers from across the country to help out, but it takes time to stage it. The Cedar Rapids volunteers are limited in number and also involved with there families, the flood, and may not be able to respond to the Sand Bag crew. As Volunteers from outside the area start to arrive, the effort ramps up.
No one faults them with raising money from one disaster to be used on the next. That seems reasonable. But what is this money being spent on? Disaster after disaster, no one can find them.
One poster said she saw them driving in as she was evacuating Sandy, but the folks who stayed behind reported that though they looked diligently, they never could find the Red Cross.
As to it taking a long time to get their volunteers to Cedar Rapids, the Rainbow volunteers were there in a heartbeat. Within a day or so, they were serving up homemade stew and chili. Surely, if a bunch of current and ex-hippies can get it organized in such a timely manner, the Red Cross should be able to do so.
The Red Cross is currently on site in Arizona's fire in the White mountains. I'll never understand those who bash those who help. To me this type of attitude is despicable.
The Red Cross is currently on site in Arizona's fire in the White mountains. I'll never understand those who bash those who help. To me this type of attitude is despicable.
What I think is despicable is soliciting millions in donations and not doing much of a job.
If the Red Cross is on the up and up, why not show where the money is spent, list what they are doing and where? Why insist that how they spend the donations we send in is a "trade secret."
The Red Cross stock in trade is disaster relief, but disaster after disaster no one can find them until a fair amount of time has passed. When they finally show up, what they do is way out of proportion to the money they raise.
So what's going on?
Last edited by GotHereQuickAsICould; 06-28-2014 at 05:09 PM..
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