I got a call last night from a friend of my wife. This friend is part of a group of medical professionals that go to help local hospitals when there is a disaster event. She was calling to ask me to tell my wife that she was heading to OKC to help with the tornado recovery effort.
I had just been on the phone to a co-worker in OKC Sunday who told me that it was bad but they expected to get more storms. I wanted to see how bad the tornado damage was so I started checking on line. That's when I go hit with all the content driven ads begging help for the American Red Cross.
I have one word for you if your considering giving money to either the Red Cross or the Salvation Army, DON'T!
These philanthropic organizations do very little to actually help people. Most of the money is wasted on paying big salaries to people who spend their time FUND RAISING. When they do bother to head out to a disaster location its only to get photo ops and spend some time qualifying people for aid so they can justify the grant money they get from the federal government.
There are better groups to give money to, don't waste your cash on the American Red Cross.
Don't lump the Salvation Army in with the Red Cross. Some of us have personal experience with their workings.
ReplyDeletePerhaps Paul Harvey said it best over 30 years ago when he pointed out that when disaster strikes, the Red Cross shows up and immediately starts passing the hat. The SA shows up and just starts helping people.
I had always read/heard that Salvation Army does actually help people, though I don't know whether or not they actually send response teams to disaster areas such as this or if their efforts are more limited to the day-to-day assistance programs. That's why I've contributed to them in the past.
ReplyDeleteWe had a tornado in WY a few years back and a group of us went to help with a semi load of food water cleaning stuff clothes etc. The Red Cross and Slavation Army wouldn't hand out so much as a bottle of water unless you had your drivers license and social security card and were "low income". These people just lost their trailer and all their stuff and couldn't get water without ID!!!
ReplyDeleteWe handed out everything to anybody who said they needed it. The folks in town who didn't lose their houses said F&@K! the Red Cross and opened their homes so that people could sleep inside on cots and have baths etc. So we gave those people food and blankets etc becuase they were using them for their neighbors.
I'm not sure how the Slavation Army does things like the soup kitchens and all that. I wasn't impressed with them. It's true the Red Cross is well known for the pandering and not doing anything, which is worse.
If you have some info that would change my mind on the Salvation Army I'd like to hear it.
From the Oklahoma City Fox affiliate (KION) website:
ReplyDelete"The Salvation Army's Emergency Disaster Services is providing food, drinks and spiritual support to survivors and first responders from the tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma and several surrounding cities.
Disaster units have already been dispatched to several areas hit hard by the storm."
From the Salvation Army website:
"The Salvation Army is on the ground in Moore, Oklahoma with multiple canteens and personnel coordinating with Local and State Emergency Management to serve first responders and those affected by the tornado. We continue to provide service to hard hit areas from yesterdays’ storms which include Shawnee – multiple sites, Carney area, and Cleveland County.
Meals and hydration are being provided for first responders and those affected. Major Steve Morris, Arkansas-Oklahoma Divisional Commander has been driving around the affected area. Major Morris states “The devastation is far reaching both in human life, property and livestock loss. The Salvation Army is honored to serve and provide sustenance to first responders involved in search and rescue, coordination efforts and more. And, of course, all survivors will be provided spiritual and emotional care."
Canteens involved in the response from Oklahoma include Central Oklahoma Area Command (Oklahoma City), Ardmore, Enid, Lawton, McAlester and Muskogee. Also, disaster response teams from Pine Bluff, Jonesboro and Hot Springs, Arkansas are en route to the Oklahoma City metropolitan area to assist in response. Personnel from across the division are also traveling to the area to form a Divisional Incident Command Team (which helps coordinate the overall response for The Salvation Army). Central Oklahoma Area Command has established a local Incident Command team for response."
I don't know if the procedure you reported applies down there, of course. I would be surprised to discover it would apply to first responders, for instance...unless they are required to show police/fire/EMT identification before being served any food or water.
They were also on hand for the large Waldo Canyon fire we had here, as well as the other fires in Colorado last year.
If they are setting up tents and feeding people, that's great. When they provide food to the guys working to clean the place up and get help to those in the storm, thats great too. Doing that sort of thing helps keep more guys working on helping others and is worth while.
ReplyDeleteIf that's what they do most of the time than I take back what I said about them. That's not what I saw here, but then again I didn't stick around with them.
Well, all I really have on the Salvation Army in Moore is what's been reported in the news. My brother-in-law is on the north end of OKC, and his daughter (my wife's niece) is on the southwest side; both of them were outside the tornado-struck areas, so are safe and unaffected...so I'm sure they don't know much about the aid details, either.
ReplyDeleteWe were actually in OKC on Saturday, but left early in the afternoon for the western part of the state. A tornado went through that area on Sunday (a few miles north of our house), but apparently it didn't do much damage with no injuries or fatalities; nothing like the big one that hit on Monday.
This after we just missed the one in Kansas on Saturday, having spent Friday night in Hays. I was driving like a bat-out-of-hell on Sunday afternoon, trying to get back to Colorado ahead of the storms in Texas, too.
It was a real bad weekend to be travelling through Tornado Alley. Won't be doing that again, anytime soon.
I'm glad you made it out and that all of yours are OK and doing fine.
ReplyDeleteMy husband said the very same thing you did when my heartstrings were tugged by the Red Cross messages. A Battalion of Soldiers here have been loading up a trailer daily with donations and hand delivering them. (they said they get bombarded by Red Cross volunteers to take their supplies and money and distribute it for them, the Soldiers keep refusing and hand deliver it themselves). RLB donated through them. Also a Crossfit gym in OKC partnered with our Crossfit gym to do a fundraising workout with the money going directly to the need. We donated to that as well.
ReplyDeleteSD,
ReplyDeleteI kinda hate posting stuff like this. It's just that its true. The Red Cross is a scam that won't go away. Its good that the soldiers wouldn't give up the donations, because the Red Cross SELLS things that are donated to the people who need them.
Saw a FEMA news article / advertisement that was attempting to get people to not actually go volunteer their time or services in places that have need, but rather to donate and give to the Red Cross (specifically) and other organizations with a arching presence.
ReplyDeleteImmediately thought of the exact points you brought out in this post. The bureaucracy...