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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Storm Relief

Storm Relief

by Michael D.|  September 13, 20081:34 pm| 27 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

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I heard on CNN this morning that the Red Cross is in the red. They are operating on borrowed money because donations are not what they’ve been. You can give here. The Salvation Army has delivered over 20,000 meals since Friday. You can donate to them here. They’re doing a great job.

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Reader Interactions

27Comments

  1. 1.

    Tim (The Other One)

    September 13, 2008 at 1:49 pm

    “They are operating on borrowed money because donations are not what they’ve been”

    so much for the “invisible generosity” of the private sector.

  2. 2.

    DR

    September 13, 2008 at 1:54 pm

    Please do give to the Red Cross. But don’t give anything to the Salvation Army, which is an extreme-right religious organization, whose charitable arm is nothing but a front.

  3. 3.

    JenJen

    September 13, 2008 at 1:57 pm

    The GOP only throws a hurricane relief fundraising telethon during the Republican National Convention, apparently.

    Shorter GOP: Suck it, Texas! Did you know John McCain is a POW?

    I just gave to the Red Cross, John. Thanks for sending the call out.

  4. 4.

    satby

    September 13, 2008 at 1:58 pm

    No, the Red Cross has had some management issues too, and I say that as a 20 year volunteer who was part of the Katrina effort. I think 3 CEOs in 4 (maybe 5) years?
    Right now I give my dontions to the Salvation Army, they were the unsung heos of the last many disasters, RC just cops all the glory.

  5. 5.

    satby

    September 13, 2008 at 2:01 pm

    “unsung heros”.

    I dunno, I never heard the SA prsotletize, they just delivered while other agencies dicked around. But no group is perfect.

  6. 6.

    satby

    September 13, 2008 at 2:02 pm

    keyboard is so not my friend today

  7. 7.

    Michael D.

    September 13, 2008 at 2:22 pm

    Far be it for me to support a religious organization, but the Salvation Army is doing great work in Texas this weekend. And trust me, I am no fan of Sally Ann.

  8. 8.

    John Cole

    September 13, 2008 at 2:22 pm

    keyboard is so not my friend today

    Lemme guess. You are a pow, too.

  9. 9.

    DR

    September 13, 2008 at 2:36 pm

    “never heard the SA prsotletize”

    Listen more carefully…. If the RC has management problems, at least their reason for being is to help. The SA’s reason for being is to prepare for the end of the world…

  10. 10.

    DR

    September 13, 2008 at 2:40 pm

    In most of the world, the SA pretty much requires religious conversion in exchange for help… The only thing which prevents them from being that overt in the U.S. is the fact that they don’t want to lose their tax exemption.

  11. 11.

    Scott H

    September 13, 2008 at 2:57 pm

    For people wanting to check up on whom they send their donations: Charity Navigator.

  12. 12.

    BethanyAnne

    September 13, 2008 at 3:03 pm

    Mom made it through fine :-) She stayed with my great aunt Mary, and they are in the house playing rummy with washrags on their foreheads to keep cool. She said they took a walk around the neighborhood, and there are tons of trees down, and even a few fences flattened. Now I can go focus on AB :-)

  13. 13.

    JL

    September 13, 2008 at 3:04 pm

    Michael, How do you like those gas prices in the greater Atlanta area. I refused to get gas yesterday after seeing the prices up thirty cents. Now they are above $4.00. Barack Obama has been in touch with the mayor of Houston and has offered to use his e-mail contacts to raise money. I’ll hold off because I’m not wild about either organizations.

  14. 14.

    PeterJ

    September 13, 2008 at 3:12 pm

    From Charity Navigator:

    We don’t evaluate The Salvation Army.
    Why not? Many religious organizations are exempt under Internal Revenue Code from filing the Form 990. As a result, we lack sufficient data to evaluate their financial health.

  15. 15.

    Notorious P.A.T.

    September 13, 2008 at 3:19 pm

    I’m sorry but I can’t donate to charity. John McCain says that government programs crowd out private efforts to help, and I don’t want to accuse him of lying.

  16. 16.

    John McPalin

    September 13, 2008 at 3:22 pm

    in the red.

    Apologize for that slur against American Indians!

  17. 17.

    Charity

    September 13, 2008 at 3:28 pm

    From Barack Obama.com’s site’s front page:

    Once again, the nation holds its breath as another major hurricane takes aim at a major American City. As Ike makes landfall in Texas, it is time for us to open our hearts and our wallets to assist those affected.

    I urge you to donate to the American Red Cross or Save the Children now.

    I’ll be donating via these links, and hopefully the Obama campaign will get some kind of credit.

  18. 18.

    Linda

    September 13, 2008 at 3:34 pm

    Please do give to the Red Cross. But don’t give anything to the Salvation Army, which is an extreme-right religious organization, whose charitable arm is nothing but a front.

    I agree. The Salvation Army may do a lot of good work, but they have refused to help any gay couples that would otherwise qualify. I have never heard about the Red Cross refusing anyone because they don’t agree with their lifestyle. I won’t even donate used clothes, etc. to the SA, they all go to Goodwill.

  19. 19.

    JL

    September 13, 2008 at 3:36 pm

    Does anyone know about the Save the Children? I’ve donated to local charities in the past and OxFam. Red Cross is not a favorite but I did that during the last hurricane.

  20. 20.

    Michael D.

    September 13, 2008 at 3:55 pm

    Michael, How do you like those gas prices in the greater Atlanta area.

    A friend of mine went to South Carolina yesterday to visit his mom. On his way back, he was looking at billboards for the cheapest gas. He saw one for $3.52 and pulled in awhile later. In the time from when he saw the billboard to the time he got tot he station, it increased to $4.57.

  21. 21.

    JL

    September 13, 2008 at 4:08 pm

    Michael, Free enterprise is grand! I have a tad more than 1/2 of tank and I drive a Honda so I am waiting it out. By tomorrow Sonny will issue his, “let’s play nice statement”.

  22. 22.

    Laura W

    September 13, 2008 at 4:16 pm

    Still here in western NC…went to Conoco to get my powerball tickets, of course, and overheard a phone call to them asking where in this town you could buy gas? Two stations, apparently. The lady told me they got a delivery yesterday or Friday that was priced at $5.50/gallon. Yeow. I think they refused it.

    I am lucky to have half a tank and no real need to go anywhere for a while, but note to self: ALWAYS keep your tank full, regardless of time of year.

  23. 23.

    eyelessgame

    September 13, 2008 at 4:22 pm

    My grandfather was a SA Brigadier.

    They’re scary eschatologically-intense religious people. But they do feed and clothe people who need food and shelter.

    It’s a human institution, like anything. You take the bad with the good, or you don’t – it’s up to you.

  24. 24.

    Kevin

    September 13, 2008 at 10:23 pm

    Another good organization that helps out in times like this is Operation USA; one thing I liked about them is that you give them a donation for something specific (say, Katrina), and they don’t hound you for further donations.

  25. 25.

    Glen

    September 14, 2008 at 6:18 am

    Given the Salvation Army’s homophobic beliefs and policies, they’re not getting one dime from me. No matter how hard they clang their bells on NYC’s Herald Square.

  26. 26.

    Birdzilla

    September 15, 2008 at 9:28 am

    Its like what happened to the chapter of THE UNITED WAY when they cut off the BOY SCOUTS over their ban on gays and that chapter suffered a big loss of donations

  27. 27.

    Personal Designation

    November 2, 2008 at 12:57 am

    Son, I hold the Navy Cross, the Distinguished Flying Cross (three awards), the Silver Star and I’ve been credited with seventeen air to air kills in the Pacific Theatre while flying with both the Black Sheep and Blackburns Irregulars. I’m here to tell you that to this day: I HATE THE RED CROSS!!!

    Why, dad?

    Because they charged us for everything we ever got from them. Didn’t matter if it was a bar of soap, a razor or a candy bar, if the Red Cross provided it in a combat zone, the men who did the dyin’ paid cash money! I won’t take squat from them to this day. I sure won’t give ’em anything, either!

    The above exchange encapsulates the ignominious Red Cross during WWII. I value the opinions of WWII US and Allied personnel. I have given and continue to give to The Salvation Army because they remembered me in a time when I had need. The need (or desire if you wanna call it) was a Bible study course, and I received no fleshly comfort in the form of shelter, food, hygiene products or clothes.

    The Red Cross story strikes a nerve with me. Base predator behavior that stoops so low and strikes mercilessly with unrepentant greed.

    But hey, this is these here united states after all where people can exercise their freedoms. I exercise to cross off The Red Cross and give elsewhere.

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