Too much generosity goes to Red Cross--Newsday

[samdogmom]

With Hurricane Rita making news, it's time for Americans to take a more disciplined look at their tremendous generosity.

As of last week, the American Red Cross reported that it had raised $826 million in private funds for Hurricane Katrina victims. The Chronicle of Philanthropy has the total figure at more than $1.2 billion for all relief groups reporting. So the Red Cross received about 70 percent of all giving.

(snip)

This skewed giving to the Red Cross would be justified if the organization had to pay the cost of the 300,000 people it has sheltered. But FEMA and the affected states are reimbursing the Red Cross under contracts for emergency shelter and other disaster services. The existence of these contracts is no secret to anyone but the American public.

(snip)

The national Red Cross reports it spent $111 million last year on fundraising alone. Its fundraising vastly outruns its programs because it does very little or nothing to rescue survivors, provide direct medical care or rebuild houses. After 9/11, the Red Cross collected more than $1 billion, a record in philanthropic fundraising after a disaster. But the Red Cross could do little more than trace missing people, help a handful of people in shelters and provide food to firefighters, police, paramedics and evacuation crews.

http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-opwal274444388sep27,0,6267271.story?coll=ny-viewpoints-headlines

Is anybody else offended by this blatant misrepresentation on the part of the Red Cross?

[fooj]

1. Now we know why Shrub pushed the RED CROSS down our throats!

Peace.

[Joy Anne]

2. Don't forget #2 on the original FEMA list

It was Operation Blessing, Pat Robertson's "charity."
But I remember the Red Cross misrepresentations, and I've also been unhappy with the Salvation Army.

So I've made my considerable (well, not really, just in comparison to my income) charitable donations for hurricane relief to Hope Shall Bloom, the United Church of Christ Hurricane Recovery Fund, and to Church World Service; my husband's been contributing to Habitat for Humanity.

[dback]

3. Clara Barton would be so sad to see what it's become of her work

She is a genuine American hero whom more people should know about--worked as a nurse until the Civil War, at which time she and other nurses took to the battlefields and started nursing to thousands of wounded men. Her personal tally of saved lives is probably beyond estimation. Later, when she went to Europe, she heard about their new organization (The Red Cross, a reversal of I think Switzerland's flag), and decided to start an American chapter.

She was a great, great, great lady, and I've always admired her tireless devotion and self-sacrifice. What a shame the organization does not live up to her standards and ideals.

[LiberalEsto]

4. Amen! We give to Mercy Corps. n/t

[Catchawave]

5. And they weren't allowed into NOLA when all those

people were suffering at the dome and convention center? I just never understood that.