Foo - Assistance For BikeForums Members Affected By Katrina

All,

I have already given to the Red Cross but I want to directly help Bike Forums members who have been affected by Katrina. Although I live in NE FL, I'll do whatever I can. PM or email me. In addtion to posting here, I've post a message over on the forums at http://www.wwltv.com/forums/index.php trying to get the word out.

All,

I have already given to the Red Cross but I want to directly help Bike Forums members who have been affected by Katrina. Although I live in NE FL, I'll do whatever I can. PM or email me. In addtion to posting here, I've post a message over on the forums at http://www.wwltv.com/forums/index.php trying to get the word out.

I think I can speak for everyone that was involved. Thank you. I live in Madison, MS. On Monday morning, we were told that the Gov of MS stated that he wanted all businesses closed by noon. When we left the office at 1100, my car was blowing all over the road...we had gusts up to about 45 then. So, I get home, "tie" everything down and wait...So, the wind, rain and just crap comes. Where I live, which is about 3.5 hrs north of the gulf coast, we were getting like 75mph gusts with sustained winds of around 60mph. We lost power about 4pm on Monday. It was hot that night, but not too bad. Then, it was 94 here. That was bad...then a boil water notice...then, no ice...then, no gas...Today about 4pm, we got power back.

People will ask what they can do??? Pray, Pray, and then Pray. We need all the prayers, support, ice, water, gasoline, anything you think we need, I guarantee it. I am one of the fortunate ones. There are over 900,000 customers within Mississippi alone that have no power. On the coast, they have to rebuild substations, high transmission power lines, then run new lines to the customers.

Send money to the Red Cross. They are a Godsend to us here. My aunt and uncle live in Moss Point, MS which in just this side of Mobile, AL. They lost everything they had. It is just devestating here. People keep saying it looks like a war zone here...I have been to two different war zones (Somalia and Iraq), and they actually look better than we do.

Just my view from Katrina...

mscycler
Kevin Smira

Done. You guys have $150 coming your way(technically it's already there, I donated it last thursday).

I'm holding out just a little bit before I donate because my employer (Honeywell) sometimes will do matching donations for things like this. So I want to wait a few days to see if I can double it.

Yeah, I go back to work tomorrow and I am sure that my employer (Eaton Aerospace) is (or may already have) going to donate. I cant say thank you enogh for any and all donations. Just remember that monetary donations arent the only thing people in this area need. We need food, water, ice, gasoline, etc...

Thanks again,
mscycler

The Red Cross needs cash donations ASAP. http://www.redcross.org/
This is much better than donating material items as it's much easier to convert the funds in to exactly what they need rather than having to inventory and transport randomly donated items. If your employer is matching donations by all means do it that way

The Red Cross needs cash donations ASAP. http://www.redcross.org/
This is much better than donating material items as it's much easier to convert the funds in to exactly what they need rather than having to inventory and transport randomly donated items. If your employer is matching donations by all means do it that way

I agree that the red cross needs cash, but I am in the middle of it. I can guarantee you that we need the material items/randoly donated items just as much as money.

mscycler

I agree that the red cross needs cash, but I am in the middle of it. I can guarantee you that we need the material items/randoly donated items just as much as money.

mscycler
I hear you, but this is how it is:

from the Red Cross Website
About Donating Goods to the Red Cross for Areas Impacted by Hurricane Katrina
Written by Leigh-Anne Dennison , Redcross.org Staff

Wednesday, August 31, 2005
When a disaster of the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina strikes and the news broadcasts images of broken, battered and destroyed homes, it is natural for the public to be eager to help their neighbors – whether they’re across town or across the country. Often, seeing that they have lost everything, people are eager to donate food, clothing or other goods to meet the needs of storm victims and help the affected families begin to replace what they have lost.


"While that generous spirit is truly appreciated, the American Red Cross cannot accept this type of donation for the victims it is serving," said Amanda Lepof, an American Red Cross In-Kind Officer.

Today, the Red Cross is operating more than 250 shelters across seven states, providing a safe haven for nearly 42,000 evacuees – many who have been left homeless by Katrina. The first priority is meeting the urgent, critical needs of those people, which include providing emergency shelter, food and water.

"In-kind donations are best when they come from companies that can provide new items in a quantity that meets the mass care needs of victims – for example, Anheuser-Busch is again donating canned water for hurricane victims and response workers," said Lepof. "Unsolicited, spontaneous donations of goods and services from individuals and community groups, although well intentioned, have hidden costs and pose a number of complications for initial relief efforts."
For these reasons, the Red Cross is unable to accept any large collections of items, such as used clothing, hygiene items, furniture, toys, blankets, and canned goods. Nor is it able to accept small, individual donations of these items.

Why does the Red Cross discourage donations of collected goods and individual items for disaster relief?

Collections of items require valuable and scarce resources such as time, money, and personnel to sort, clean, and distribute them, which come at the expense of the emergency activities relief workers are attempting to perform. The Red Cross has neither the resources, nor the logistical set-up, to properly handle these types of donations, and therefore cannot accept them. In addition, because the organization has no way of knowing what spontaneous individual donations or unsolicited collections of items will consist of, and therefore cannot ensure there will be enough of a particular item to distribute it equitably, or if the donated products will even be appropriate for the relief effort. Shipping donated goods is also costly and particularly difficult in the aftermath of a disaster, as roads are often damaged or impassable, and easily clogged with shipments of non-priority items. The Red Cross makes every attempt to procure items locally to save money by minimizing transportation and storage costs.
“We don’t want to discourage people who want to help,” said Lepof. “But, making a financial gift to support the relief operations really is the best way for people to help after a disaster like this.”

Monetary financial contributions enable the Red Cross to support the greatest needs in the most efficient manner. Cash can be used to purchase items in adjacent, staging areas and eliminate the added costs involved in transporting goods.

Where can donations of collected goods and individual items be most effective?

Individual donations of goods and collections of items are put to their best possible use, and have the greatest impact economically, when they are donated to local charitable organizations within the local community. Donating locally eliminates transportation costs and ensures disaster workers are not overwhelmed with sorting unsolicited donations and are free to perform priority relief activities. Because these local agencies are not operating in the crisis environment that characterizes disaster relief, the charity will have the time sort, clean, and repair goods and identify how and where they can be most beneficial.

Guidelines for Effective Giving in Support of Disaster Relief

Before beginning any sort of collection drive, it is important to first call a charitable agency and confirm that there is a need for the donation and that they are able to accept it. Several organizations active in disaster relief have published guidelines that offer practical advice on steps that should be taken prior to starting a collection drive or purchasing items to donate to disaster relief.

All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of this disaster and thousands of other disasters across the country each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need. Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.

Cash is MUCH more effective

The Red Cross needs cash donations ASAP. http://www.redcross.org/
This is much better than donating material items as it's much easier to convert the funds in to exactly what they need rather than having to inventory and transport randomly donated items. If your employer is matching donations by all means do it that way

At least with materials there is a better chance that the materials will get where they are needed as opposed to Red Cross misappropriating 75 million in funds :rolleyes:

Give whatever. I don't think at this point it's worth arguing whether it should be cash or supplies. It's like splitting hairs. People just are in NEED.

Koffee

Yesterday went to Austin to pick up wife's car from the body shop. 94.5 the buzz started a fund raiser (Request-a-thon) yesterday with the morning show. Donate money and request a song. By 2pm, they had raised 30,000. This morning they are at 100,000. I made a cash donation without a request. On the way down I-10 lost count of the military vehicles and the caravan of uhaul trucks going east. Found out Austin's Red Cross is sending food and supplies supposedly.
Sadly I found out there are some poeple in Austin that don't even know what is going on.

I have gotten used to seeing LA plates around here (Houston/Pasadena). If anyone knows of the BikeForums guys/girls that made the move ot Houston, let me know. Or if you have family here, PM me. Yall are all neighbors, just from a different, far away neighborhood. There were reports on the news the last few nights, hotels are starting to kick out the refugees. I might not be able to house people, but to help ensure a family gets a hot meal would mean a lot I'm sure.

I'm holding out just a little bit before I donate because my employer (Honeywell) sometimes will do matching donations for things like this. So I want to wait a few days to see if I can double it.

Glad I waited! I was right...my company, today, announced they are giving $500,000 and also matching company donations. It also appears that we have some sort of corporate helicopter or something that they are sending out to help in the S&R effort.

At least with materials there is a better chance that the materials will get where they are needed as opposed to Red Cross misappropriating 75 million in funds :rolleyes:
Always have to some kind of trollish comment eh? How about you learn to read rather than post garbage?


Why does the Red Cross (or any charity) discourage donations of collected goods and individual items for disaster relief?

Collections of items require valuable and scarce resources such as time, money, and personnel to sort, clean, and distribute them, which come at the expense of the emergency activities relief workers are attempting to perform. The Red Cross has neither the resources, nor the logistical set-up, to properly handle these types of donations, and therefore cannot accept them.
In addition, because the organization has no way of knowing what spontaneous individual donations or unsolicited collections of items will consist of, and therefore cannot ensure there will be enough of a particular item to distribute it equitably, or if the donated products will even be appropriate for the relief effort.
Shipping donated goods is also costly and particularly difficult in the aftermath of a disaster, as roads are often damaged or impassable, and easily clogged with shipments of non-priority items. The Red Cross (as well as the Salvation Army) makes every attempt to procure items locally to save money by minimizing transportation and storage costs.


If you have an issue with the Red Cross donate to Salvation Army (http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/) these people need help not idiotic trollish comments.