Thread: Anyone else not want to donate to Red Cross?

We are giving to the United Way, 100% of donations to UW will go to helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina victims.

My nursing class decided not to donate to RC b/c one of our classmate's dh is on the local board of RC and told us that most of our donation would go toward adimnistrative costs. He said that if we wanted to see our $ go directly to helping the victims then RC was not to organization to donate to.

I chose Operation Blessing to give to. They make all their finances public, and I like that. Personally I also choose to give to a Christian organization, and they focus more on non-cash donations but also accept money. They focus on getting food, etc, and have their fleet of trucks that picks it up and takes it where it's needed.
http://www.ecfa.org/ContentEngine.as...idiaryID=12588
http://www.ob.org or http://www.operationblessing.org

It's always good to give consciously. :heart:

We have donated food to our local lutheran church, though we are UU, because they are loading a semi and going down to the affected area this week.

We also have signed up to foster animals that are homeless after this disaster. If you can, consider doing this, there are thousands of animals that are homeless and need somewhere to call home for while.

Originally Posted by djmdj

Let me throw in, that the United Methodist Committee on Relief (Umcor) is supported by the denomination. NOTHING you give goes to overhead or salaries..

We gave to UMCOR also, for this reason. Also, as the parents of a severely handicapped child with cerebral palsy, we will be making a donation to United Cerebral Palsy Hurricane Katrina Relief fund which is set up specifically to help those who are severely disabled.

My parents town in Minnesota flooded a few years back, so they had first hand experience with the Red Cross and Salvation Army, as well as experiencing FEMA first hand. I don't recall the specifics, but I know my dad is now a HUGE supporter of the Salvation Army and thinks the Red Cross is a lot of talk.

Regarding FEMA, we won't even go there!

I donated some through my church....

http://www.lds.org/ldsfoundation/wel...POSTER,00.html

we're giving locally via friend of friend type of thing. right now i'm passing on 3yo boy clothing and toys, including our entire FP Little People collection and a bunch of kid videos and a cardboard play house that you draw on with markers and crayons (we've not used).

in a couple weeks, next pay period, we'll be doing some health kits from the kids and will continue to do those for a few more pay periods as the need exists.

at thanksgiving we plan on finding a couple of other local families to co-sponsor a displaced family for thanksgiving dinner (our group of families would supply their meal) and then at christmas we'll sponsor a family for toys in addition to the other holiday giving we already do. (we buy toys for clark howard's toy drive for foster kids here in georgia already).

Just wanted to mention an issue regarding the flood buckets, etc. We have found out that it costs so much to ship these (unless you have someone donating the truck, etc) that if you just donate the amount you would spend to put the bucket together and ship it, they can afford to purchase the products for more buckets. Does that make any sense?

(Our church did this in the past and learned the hard way)

I think I am going to plan on giving directly to an Amitymama affected by this. I can't do much and not until next check, but I would just feel more comfortable knowing it is going to someone in need directly. If no one for some reason is in direct need in a couple of weeks (next pay check)...then I will probably also give locally to try and help the decrease of giving in the direct area around us. There will probably be more people in need because of all the price increases on everything. I hope it is a relatively mild winter this year.

Originally Posted by mrsinchworm

I think I am going to plan on giving directly to an Amitymama affected by this. I can't do much and not until next check, but I would just feel more comfortable knowing it is going to someone in need directly. If no one for some reason is in direct need in a couple of weeks (next pay check)...then I will probably also give locally to try and help the decrease of giving in the direct area around us. There will probably be more people in need because of all the price increases on everything. I hope it is a relatively mild winter this year.

I think that's a great idea! We don't have much to send, but I've got something on the way one of the Amity/MD mama's who lost her home.

One thing you can feel comfortable donating to the Red Cross is blood. Something even us po' folks can give.

Originally Posted by mrsinchworm

I think I am going to plan on giving directly to an Amitymama affected by this. I can't do much and not until next check, but I would just feel more comfortable knowing it is going to someone in need directly. If no one for some reason is in direct need in a couple of weeks (next pay check)...then I will probably also give locally to try and help the decrease of giving in the direct area around us. There will probably be more people in need because of all the price increases on everything. I hope it is a relatively mild winter this year.

That's what I suggested earlier too & was kind of flamed with "how will they get it, they need $ now, etc)". Yet some of the families have access to computers & I'm sure will be able to transfer paypal into accounts with MAC/ATM cards etc.

I feel badly about not trusting the RC but I've seen them do both good & not so good & feel that $ for $ the other organizations do better. RC is very supportive of military families & I appreciate that.

As for blood donations, in NJ the Central NJ Blood Bank actually does better on collecting blood & getting the blood to local hospitals than RC. (My SIL works for the RC on blood drive marketing).

I personally will not donate to the Red Cross either. I chose to donate to Samaritan's Purse instead. It's a non-profit started by Franklin Graham (Billy Graham's son).