<p>WalMart - Target - Home Depot - Lowes - and many other large companies have made large contributions to the Red Cross - some have matching contribution programs as well - sure looks to me like our US folks are pitching in - this is going to be a very loooong haul.</p>
<p>Many colleges are offering college students who should/would have been attending school in the ravaged area - free tuition - housing - etcc…</p>
<p>in 72 hours - our country has made open and honest contributions to human kind - but sooooo much more is needed</p>
<p>Walmart has apparently been shamed into more and greater action by our own Citygirlsmom. They’ve donated $1M each to the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army, and have set up this useful link on their website. In addition to the truckloads of supplies they’ve sent to NO, they’re helping Texas prepare the Astrodome for the arrival of the evacuees. Well done, CGM!</p>
<p>Individuals who plan to contribute should check with their employer first to see if a matching gifts program has been set up. For example, my employer will match every dollar that employees contribute to the American Red Cross. Hence a gift to the Salvation Army, while obviously a good cause, may not carry as much actual help as a gift to the ARC.</p>
<p>My High School Alumni organization in NJ wishes to contribute directly to a family in the hurricane area. Any suggestions would be welcome.<br>
Thank you.</p>
<p>Of course lots of money is needed, but when I hear about people looting grocery stores for diapers and such, I wonder if there is some more expeditious way to donate needed materials, such as indicated by bklynmom.</p>
<p>I heard a rep from the Sal. Army on a radio show today who stated that monetary contributions are the best to make at this time. His basic message: The logistics of transporting goods to the ravaged area, before they even have assessed damages and begun to rebuild infrastructure, wouldn’t be as effective,- in fact, a logistical nightmare compounding what already exists.
Also, he said they like to utilize the funds to buy in bulk from nearby states/areas for the goods needed. This makes transport somewhat easier and it helps revitalize local economies, too.</p>
<p>Bklynmom - cash donations to the Salvation Army are often best, so they can make bulk purchases. If your organization wnats to know they helped one family, and if they are not averse to going through a church, I might be able to help, but I won’t know until after Labor Day weekend - communications here are still being worked out. I’m sure that there will be many families needing long term help, my church provides food, clothes and direct monetary assistance to individual families, with all overhead basically coming from the church members. We are not Catholic, but we work with Catholic Social Services and VOA, who “vet” families for us, so that when people come to the door, we know they are in need (we also do one time handouts to people who just turn up, but try to limit that to one time things).
In the case of the evacutees, the need is obvious, so I’m sure some special donation mechanisms will be set up.</p>
<p>Still I would encourage donations to the Salvation Army - your money will help the most people that way.</p>
<p>Thanks, Cangel, for all the info and advice.
My Alumni group is a mixed lot, Christian, Jewish, etc. I don’t think the denomination of any Church group would matter. We often try, as a group, to send some kind of aid to wherever it is needed. I will send you a private message.</p>
<p>I agree that using donated money to supply bulk supplies of needed items would be great. But I heard on TV (maybe not accurate?) that the Red Cross is supplying victims with debit cards. Unless you made it to a hotel, how useful can this be? There is nowhere to shop, so why would victims need debit cards in the immediate aftermath of the disaster?</p>
<p>Following up on what cangel said, I’m seeing lots of people recommending the Salvation Army above all others for this kind of relief project. Here’s Michael Barone’s take:</p>
<p>Debit cards only make sense for people who are able to get away from the affected areas - but for those folks it makes a lot of sense. Every available house, apartment, hotel room, relative’s basement, etc in our area, in North Alabama, North Mississippi and Louisiana will be taken up for at least a year - you could barely find motel space in Pensacola before the Katrina, and Ivan was a year ago.
People who still have livelihoods will be going back to rebuild (the status of the casinos, and the port of NO are a big concern - where is the fall wheat and corn crop going to go?) - cash is one of the most flexible resources they can be given.
A lot of the folks from the Superdome need even more, many of them didn’t have permanent jobs to start with.</p>
<p>Yes, that is precisely why it would be a good idea. I agree Red Cross and all the other organizations are doing a great job and have done, but please realize these organizations will take care of their overhead and administrative needs first. There is an outpouring of money and supplies going to these agencies, but they then in turn dole out piece meal, (no pun intended). By adopting a family and getting the funds directly to them, they can start the process of getting back on their feet rather than wait thru the red tape.</p>
<p>To Cangel. Im going to look into this with my bank, Wachovia, since they are everywhere to get suggestions and advice on sponsoring a family as mentioned by bklynmom. Any info you can provide on a family would help greatly. I would like to get the account opened and word out about it so donations comming in so it can be ready to be used by the chosen family. I will have to get to the bank to find out the details. There are certain questions and concerns I have about the dispersement of the money also.</p>
<p>Debit cards are being distributed to evacuees in areas where they CAN be used - as the evacuees have NO funds - NO bank cards - NOTHING - as evacuees arrive out of the damaged areas - they will find resources - but may be a while before things get more organized.</p>
<p>Here’s another site one can donate to which I particularly recommend as being focused and efficient with aid-- Church World Service. I know Rev. McCullough, the Executive Director, (he attends my church), and the work this organization does is fantastic. It’s an umbrella group for more than 30 denominations. I can attest to the amazing good things they do in the US and around the world.</p>
<p>I will see what I can find out about ways to get money to individual families.</p>
<p>Another thing to keep in mind is that so many need so much - there is a man who had to let go of his wife in the floodwaters of Biloxi, he has been on our local news many, many times, because he approached a news crew in anguish searching for his wife’s body. His story is heartbreaking, and the TV channel has started a fund for him, in his name. the problem I have with this is what about the thousands of others who weren’t in the right place at the right time - it is the age old question, relief has to start somewhere, but what is the best way to help.</p>
<p>Anyway, if I can get some info about ways to help that I feel comfortable will not be a scam or a waste of people’s money, I will post them.</p>
<p>OK Cys, as an employee of Red Cross I will tell you: we do NOT “take care of our overhead and administrative needs first” And I am in a position to know because I am the controller for a chapter. Employees are working many, many hours (not overtime-just to be clear) to make sure the donations of money gets to the people who need it.
So, just to ask, how exactly do you expect Joe Blow to get the information needed to adopt a family and get the money to them. Since you seem to know, list out the steps please.
Red Cross is in place to set shelters, aid station, provide food, etc because they have the infrastructure to do so. They set up the systems ahead of time and plan the training needed to use all the thousand of volunteers who relocate to the disaster areas to help. Finally what do you mean by piece meal? How exactly do you expect the money to be given out from the Red Cross?
If it wasn’t obvious, you hit a nerve!
Please everyone, find a reputable charity and give. There are lists online who will rate the charities. The need it huge and will continue to be for quite a while.</p>
<p>Cangel, the particular man you mention is Mr. Hardy Jackson. His story is what inspired the idea to adopt a family. Like you said there are so, so, so many. I just believe my money would be put to best use going directly to a victim, bypassing the middlemen, i.e. American Red Cross and the slew of charitable organizations out there. I want my money to help the victims not pay for an organization’s overhead or salaries.</p>