We currently have about 50 refugees in my hometown and should have 1000 in week or two. Our Red Cross office does not allow you to donate clothing unless it is new. Several nurses at work had cleaned out their closets and selected only good clothing that didn't fit. ( i am puzzled because local chapter has turned down alot of support offered by the community)
Anyway I was thinking that we could all get our items together and have a totally free yard sale available to people who are here from the Gulf area. What do you think? Anything that didn't sale we could take to the salvation army and clean out our closets.
The area where I lived was hit with flooding several years ago, and the only people who showed up to help us was the salvation army. The red cross decided that "it wasn't large enough" for them to deal with. I would donate my money, time, clothing etc to other organizations. My home church is taking donations and have trailer trucks to take food, essential items, clothing etc. to the area. Check with churches in your area, I am sure that some will be doing the same thing. I think the red cross makes things more difficult than they need to be. (just my opinion)
Specializes in Geriatrics/Oncology/Psych/College Health.
I am a volunteer with my local Red Cross and find that our local chapter is a very good steward of our time and money. My workplace just raised a smidge over $1100 today that will go to the Red Cross, as many of us are knowledgable about the chapter in our area and find it to be efficiently and compassionately run. I'm sorry that everyone hasn't has that experience.
The area where I lived was hit with flooding several years ago, and the only people who showed up to help us was the salvation army. The red cross decided that "it wasn't large enough" for them to deal with. I would donate my money, time, clothing etc to other organizations. My home church is taking donations and have trailer trucks to take food, essential items, clothing etc. to the area. Check with churches in your area, I am sure that some will be doing the same thing. I think the red cross makes things more difficult than they need to be. (just my opinion)
Susan
The Red Cross is a joke, a very bad joke. They charged the GI they gave help to, in WWII, Korea and Viet Nam. If you are in the military, have a love one, overseas, and need to get them back because of a family illness, forget it. If the love one is not near death, no go. I had to get my Congressman involved to get my younger brother back from Germany. And we had to repay the Red Cross for his plane ticket. They spend more then 40% of the money they collect on administrative cost. I give to the Salvation Army. They were here, in Port Charlotte before the Red Cross and FEMA after Charlie hit.
Someone who was around in World War ll told me that the Red Cross sold donuts to the GI's. If you wanted a donut you had better have had the money.
I wouldn't give one red cent to the Red Cross.
For what reason would they want only new clothes? What are they going to do with them?
I remember in the news where the head of the red cross, a prominent politician's wife drew a $200,000 salary.
I remember other negative things about the red cross as well.
Maybe you can give the clothes directly to the refugees, just bypass the red cross workers.
Where do you live?
Good luck with your endeavor.
My Grandfather told us the samething...the salvation army did the same thing for free...Grandpa said they were the best tasting donuts he had ever ate lol
The Red Cross in Harrisburg, Pa is giving one day courses to prepare people to go, stating they will need people in shelters for the long haul. Maybe it depends on how the organization functions, region by region?
One thing I will give them credit for, my nephew assisted a pilot who crashed into their trailer park, and they did excellent follow up and counselling with him. Again, his Mom had a not-so- good experience with them in the next county! I guess the organization is as good as the local people runing it.
The Red Cross in Harrisburg, Pa is giving one day courses to prepare people to go, stating they will need people in shelters for the long haul. Maybe it depends on how the organization functions, region by region?
One thing I will give them credit for, my nephew assisted a pilot who crashed into their trailer park, and they did excellent follow up and counselling with him. Again, his Mom had a not-so- good experience with them in the next county! I guess the organization is as good as the local people runing it.
I think this may well be the case. Some new grads from our school called to volunteer and were told "pack your bags and be here tomorrow."
I have a friend that was at the Pentagon 9/11 (a civilian) and she said the RC set up a small station Day one, but no significant relief or any personnel showed up until 3-4 days into the disaster.
While I believe that, overall, the RC offers a significant role to disaster relief, too much of the money they recieve does not get to the people it was meant to help (my personal opinion.) I do believe it is their policy to not charge for services or supplies at this time (vs during WWII.) I have donated time to the RC, but my money goes to other charities.
There are other organizations there, including the Salvation Army. (My sister is turning 40 this month and has asked for donations to SA, instead of gifts...they were on the scene for a disaster she lived through.)
I have also seen clips on the news of people driving down donated supplies and distributing them to the survivors - though you need to be careful where you go - if it is desparate, safety cannot be assured.
I think that the clothes should be donated to the Salvation Army or any other organization that will gracefully except them. If the Red Cross is being picky about it just move on and do what you have to. I too am puzzled as to why they won't take gently worn clothes. The hurricane victims would not care I am sure. Anything they could get they seem to be very thankful to receive.
this has been set up by Chris Duhon who is with the Chicago Bulls because he is from Slidell near New Orleans
what do you think?
They have them all together in a huge building. Everyone I have talked to said they will not take used clothing. basically we have a lot of jeans and shirts. we were going to buy underwear and bras. I thought if we have a free yard sale they can't tell these people they can not come outside and they could go through and get what they wanted.
They were here and the children started into the public school the next day. I am wondering how many of the children need clothes so that can at least go to school without worrying about how they appear. My children grow so fast they do not wear out their clothes especially blue jeans.
I think that the clothes should be donated to the Salvation Army or any other organization that will gracefully except them. If the Red Cross is being picky about it just move on and do what you have to. I too am puzzled as to why they won't take gently worn clothes. The hurricane victims would not care I am sure. Anything they could get they seem to be very thankful to receive.
My family and I had a bad experience with the Red Cross when Hurricaine Agnes came through Panama City, Fl. in June of 1972. We were on vacation, when we were forced to evacuate to one of their shelters at an elementary school about a mile inland. The food provided was inedible and the volunteers who manned the shelter were rude. Afterwards, my late father swore to his grave that if we were ever faced with that same situation, we'd pack up and go home, rather than be treated as badly as we were by the Red Cross again.
As for my plans to help Katrina's victims, I plan to give to the Salvation Army, as they haven't turned into another massive bureaucracy like the Red Cross, who have lost sight of their mission to help others.
I live in the Dallas Ft. Worth area and we will be getting appox. 50,000 of the evacuees and now we have surrounding towns in which the churches are taking in families too. We have been instructed to take any kind of donations such as clothing, toys, etc. to the Texas Stadium Parking lot where they will have exactly what you mentioned--a free Garage sale for the victims. I believe the ones that originated this was the Salvation Army so you might check with them to see if they could help in this too. I don't have a clue as to how the RC distributes the $ but it seems that they had alot of problems with that after 9/11. I would also rather give money directly to the shelters where the victims will be housed for no telling how long. I can't imagine turning help away at any point. We have a group of North Texas Nurses, Docs, and engineers going down to relieve the HC professionals in NO..............hope they don't turn them away!!
Wishing you much success in getting the garage sale going!! Maybe local churches would want to participate too!!
I just wanted to add that my father, who was also in WW2, also felt abandoned by the Red Cross. He was a POW, and once my school was raising some money for the Red Cross, and I remember my mother saying that we wouldn't participate because of how my dad felt about them. I've always donated through other groups, frequently the Salvation Army. Don't think you can go wrong with them.
I also just wanted to mention, for those of you like me, who feel like your dog (or cat or whatever) is a part of your family, not just a "pet". The Humane Society is going in to try to recover and care for the 4-legged family members that had to be left behind, and eventually reunite them with their families. If you care to support this also their web site is www.huus.org. This is a legitimate group that does this work whenever needed; they were there after 9/11, and many other hurricanes and other disasters.
blueheaven
832 Posts
The area where I lived was hit with flooding several years ago, and the only people who showed up to help us was the salvation army. The red cross decided that "it wasn't large enough" for them to deal with. I would donate my money, time, clothing etc to other organizations. My home church is taking donations and have trailer trucks to take food, essential items, clothing etc. to the area. Check with churches in your area, I am sure that some will be doing the same thing. I think the red cross makes things more difficult than they need to be. (just my opinion)
Susan