Request for help

[mf_dolphin]

The American Red Cross is asking for donations to aid the people in Florida. Please do what ever you can. As they say "No donation is too small"

[goodlife]

I really hate to politicize this...but this was brought up in another thread..
Will the Red Cross guarantee they will spend our donations on Charley victims??

[KayFL]

You are right, cash donations are sometimes routed in other directions. How about donations of clothing or items for the people who lost everything? Your cash donation would be the cost to send the items by overnight mail to a coordinator who is collecting the donated items for the victims.
KayFL

[GulfBreezer]

Something else you might do...........
When Andrew hit in 92, we had trucks going down from our area and we went and made donations directly into those trucks, clothing, blankets, food, baby items, etc. That way we were assured that it would get where it was needed. Check with your local Red Cross and see if they are planning any shipments directly to the damged areas.

[Lindaloo]

I really hate to politicize this...but this was brought up in another thread..
Will the Red Cross guarantee they will spend our donations on Charley victims??

Don't believe everything you hear on TV!!

[Lindaloo]

Local radio stations have been accepting donations here since Thursday. An extra collection was taken up in church this morning for people down there. I have not heard anything about what WalMart will do yet.

[goodlife]

I don't...but after 9/11 when this type of thing was being reported..I called and asked if they could guarantee me my donation would be used for the victims of 9/11 and they couldn't guarantee me that. I wasn't interested in my donation going into the general fund to be used for God knows what!

[mf_dolphin]

The Red Cross will not guarantee that money goes to a specific area however they have a damn good record of helping where and when it's needed. If you feel better donating through a more direct means please do so

[zoeyann]

I just heard on tv they need money more than donated items, but I think I feel more comfortable donating items. These people are going to need clothing, cleaning supplies, diapers and all kind of things. So I think whatever is donated will be appreicated.

[Lindaloo]

You are right zoey. The Red Cross also feed people and they go around to everyone and offer food. Food is also in high demand.

[GrimReaper]

After Andrew, many people donated clothing. BUT...because so many people didn't even have homes, where were they to put clothing?? I saw large piles of rotting donated clothing in all the shopping plaza parking lots and felt bad that people donated from their hearts, and yet their donations couldn't be used. I was the one that mentioned that the Red Cross put alot of donated Hurricane Andrew money into their general fund. mf_dolphin, in wisdom, did say...the Red Cross has a good history of helping ALL people in need, and can be trusted. If you want to donate directly to Hurricane Charley victims..perhaps try through your churches, that's what I am doing.

[GrimReaper]

I just remembered something else from Andrew......some things that were greatly in need were personal hygiene items! Soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deoderant, shampoo, and ladies...think about that time of the month, and not having the necessary products.
Oh yea, and believe it or not.... contact lense products. After I did all my own "emergency" shopping last night, I got home to realize I had forgotten contact lense solution, and was completely out. What a dummy!!!

[Lindaloo]

I just remembered something else from Andrew......some things that were greatly in need were personal hygiene items! Soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deoderant, shampoo, and ladies...think about that time of the month, and not having the necessary products.
Oh yea, and believe it or not.... contact lense products. After I did all my own "emergency" shopping last night, I got home to realize I had forgotten contact lense solution, and was completely out. What a dummy!!!

Thank you! These items are what I donated at church this morning.

[GrimReaper]

You are so smart Lindaloohoo!!!!! I'm sure you will be in that person's prayers.

[caribepr]

Grim Reaper is on target. I saw piles of clothing in the streets covered with mud...another thing people could use are tents, sleeping bags, etc. I was there doing an article for the National Guard and gave away two tents and all the stuff I brought to stay down there, as people get back to their homes they want to stay nearby as looting becomes a huge problem (revolting but true). Anything practical that you have in mind as hurricane gear (flashlights, batteries, etc) are the sort of things people need. Getting in touch with churches etc is a good idea...two people in a big van are better than 20 people trying to figure out where to go, if you don't want to give to the Red Cross. FEMA also can direct you where best to put your donations.

[clearwater]

In the Tampa Bay area the Red Cross is specifically requesting that people do NOT donate products (clothing, food, etc) because of all the issues of distribution, storage, and causing a greater burden on the people who have lost their homes.

[Lindaloo]

You are so smart Lindaloohoo!!!!! I'm sure you will be in that person's prayers.

[caribepr]

Another thought about the aftermath of Andrew re: distribution of food, etc. The National Guard were the heroic team of the hour(hours, days, weeks) in my opinion, going WAY beyond what they originally were assigned to do there and I have no doubt the same thing will happen now. People might want to call their local NG for information as to how to help as well as the Red Cross. These things take time to set up, as it is also difficult to get information to the people who need it most as of course they can't exactly tune to the local tv stations to find where centers are being located. It's hard to wait but in the meantime people can be getting things organized for best distribution.

[themusk]

I just heard on tv they need money more than donated items, but I think I feel more comfortable donating items. These people are going to need clothing, cleaning supplies, diapers and all kind of things. So I think whatever is donated will be appreicated.

Please, please -- DO NOT send item donations at a disaster area!!!!

Item donations are anything *but* helpful in a disaster. They almost never match actual needs (authorities get too much of one thing and not enough of another). And the work of sorting them and distributing them takes up administrative and transportation resources that are desperately needed for other things. Unless you're responding to a specific request by disaster authorities to send a shipment of specific goods, what you send will not be welcome.

If recovery authorities accepted most such shipments, they'd be so swamped with the work of handling them that they'd be unable to actually provide essential post-disaster services like searching for survivors and providing clean water. So usually what happens with item donations is, bluntly, they end up in a lot of landfills and, maybe, a few thrift stores far removed from the disaster.

This is a big enough problem that how to refuse well-meaning but problematic shipments of goods is included in the training of emergency management professionals. And yes, I'm speaking here as a (retired) trained professional.

[paulvogel]

I have sister made homeless in port charlotte by chrley. Im sending her cold, hard, cash,,,, not enough to by her a new house, but enough to help her pay the deductable on the insurance, and refill her refrigerater.