The Red Cross is really pissing me off!

[finecraft]

I live in New Iberia Louisiana, which is less than 150 miles from New Orleans. We have been working day and night for the last 7 days trying to help all the people that evacuated to here from New Orleans. We got a lot of people that evacuated before the storm, as well as after, since many of the evacuees have relatives that live here. We have approximately 4,000 people that are sheltered here in relatives and friends homes, not in the community shelter we have set up. (We have 1,500-2,000 people there and are maxed out, we can't handle any more in the shelter)

The Red Cross is refusing to assist people that are sheltered in relatives and friends homes! In order to receive Red Cross assistance (food, clothing, personal care items) you must be staying in the Red Cross Shelter. I know people that are sheltering 5,10 or more people in their homes.....and the Red Cross will not help them! A majority of the people that are sheltering relatives are poor themselves, and really can't afford to feed, clothe and maintain a household with 20 additional people without assistance! If they enter their relatives into the Red Cross system, the Red Cross will bus them to God-knows-where because our shelter is full, and they don't want to break up their families.

Why can't the Red Cross help these families? Does anyone see a reason why, if these people could show that they were from the evacuated area, the Red Cross could not help them? This, to me, is outrageous!

[idiosyncratic]

1. Contact the media. Call CNN, NBC, MSNBC, CBS, ABC

This needs to be known. People are donating money to the Red Cross. They should send their money elsewhere if this is the kind of help people are not getting.

[goforit]

2. This is a great question!!!....They should help out some how.

[expatriot]

3. they probably don't want to feed anybody they can't get credit for

as having being listed as in their camps. **sigh**

[despairing optimist]

4. The people would have to show indigence, perhaps,

and then the Red Cross would have to design a set of guidelines to apply on a case-by-case basis, which would be extremely time consuming and resource taxing. May I suggest something? Bring this issue to the attention of your town's board or mayor's office, and see if they can get the Red Cross to address this problem. And if they give no satisfaction, take it to the next level of government. Try the local papers too; get the attention of the papers' editorial boards. Try radio stations and their boards too. It's worth a try at least, isn't it?

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. Exactly. That is the hold-up. They might wind up feeding people who aren't

evacuees....

-----------------------------------------------------
Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
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[MidnightWind]

5. This is why I REFUSE to give to the Red Cross--

I've seen them operate first-hand and this is exactly why I won't give money to them. Yet who are all the benefits for? The Red Cross.

[JDPriestly]

12. Besides, what kind of organization would have hired

Elizabeth Dole to head it? An organization that wanted Republican support and that wanted to support Republicans. To me, the Red Cross became a partisan organization when it hired Elizabeth Dole.

[Poiuyt]

6. It could be a liability issue, I don't know

If something were to happen to a person who is in the home of a friend, and is receiving Red Cross aid, the RC could be held liable.

I'm no lawyer

[JDPriestly]

7. The Red Cross is not the best equipped to help in this situation.

The government should be providing vouchers and cash and a means to get those things into the hands of the refugees. The Red Cross cannot help people to make the longterm adjustments they will need to make: paying rent for a new place, setting up new households, getting kids ready for school in new homes. Some smaller, local charities may be able to help the affected individuals, but that kind of help will be sporadic and will not get to the poorest of the poor who will have the most difficulty making adjustments. By poorest of the poor, I mean the disabled, the elderly, small children, drug addicts, etc. Those people are likely to drift into longterm homelessness unless they get housing assistance that affords them some privacy and dignity. The kind of help that is needed can come only from the government because some people are going to need it for years and years. The Red Cross is great for short term emergencies, but not in this situation, not for long.

One of the greatest dangers in this situation is to make people dependent on short term solutions and short term living situations. If that expedient route is taken, people who could live independently will never develop self-sufficiency. They will become depressed, feel increasingly helpless, etc. That is why vouchers are the best form of help. Don't trap people into charitable structures that make them dependent. Think about the Palestinians, caught in makeshift camps for so long they can't remember. It could happen here.

[lastknowngood]

8. Fuc* the Red Cross they help no one they just take credit for other

peoples work.

[Wizard777]

10. The Senate is going to have to nail the Red Cross again.

After recieving Billions in the 9/11 fund. The Red Crosses first priority was to improve their infrastructure. That's new offices, new computers, new office funiture, and painting the office walls with Blood.

Does anyone have a number for the Red Crescent?

[Island Blue]

11. That seems strange

When we were hit by Hurricane Isabel two years ago, they worked around the clock to feed and clothe whoever needed their help. Of course the extent of our devastation was nothing like y'all have experienced, but nevertheless there were lots of people who lost their homes (and/or temporarily lost their jobs) and the Red Cross helped out. I don't know who to contact, but there must be someone.

[smurfygirl]

13. I have been in contact with the red cross in Louisville Ky

there are conflicting reports coming to them from NOLA. They have sent relief and supplies and were told to turn around. They ended up somewhere in Mississippi. They don't really understand what's going on and are upset with FEMA. Apparantly Fema is screwing up the efforts of numerous charitys. I was supposed to be going with the rc on tueday to LA. We have been told by Fema headquarters to standby until further word. In other words, they don't want us down there yet. I am also on Hazmat. 4 of our guys were supposed to be down in NOLA today. I have recieved word they are not allowed in for two more weeks.

I can say I have seen caravans of trucks heading south. Lots of trailers, refrigeration trucks, and a dart team. I am wondering if they will be turned away too.