I'm Not Giving To The Red Cross.......

[Driver76]

The Red Cross is a valuable organization in disaster situations. Whenever there is a major fire or flood our local chapter is right there and does a great job. In June we had a fire which gutted the third floor of the building that houses the local RC chapter and they would have been temporarily out of businees had we not given them the use of our sub station for three weeks until their offices could be rehabed. ( It felt good to able to help them for once. )
But I think that some people are confusing the entire meaning of Harve's post.
If you want to donate to the relief efforts that are feeding and housing the stroms victims, then by all means give to an organization like the Red Cross or Salvation Army. But if you are looking to send aid to our brother firefighters who have suffered loss from this hurricane, then you need to give to the NVFC or some other organization which is targeted directly to fellow firefighters.

[prymtym]

PLEASE GIVE TO THE RED CROSS!

[hwoods]

before Doing Anything Please Read The "adopt A Firehouse" Thread By The Wt. Thank You

[LeuitEFDems]

before Doing Anything Please Read The "adopt A Firehouse" Thread By The Wt. Thank You

Well said, and already printed out to give to the chief

[jonemac]

While I am no fan of the Red Cross (I'd rather give to the Salvation Army), I find the jabs at the Red Cross about "Where are they" a bit unfair.

Check this web site:

http://www.redcross.org/faq/0,1096,0_682_4524,00.html

to paraphrase the above;

They arent in New Orleans because New Orleans won't let them in.

[CoolDre]

http://www.give.org/

A website maintained by the Better Business Bureau. This site tells EXACTLY where each cent goes thats given to any charity that reports to them (including Red Cross, United Way, Salvation Army, etc....) They have links on where to donate for Katrina relief, and score each charity, as well as displays their persentages or overhead etc. It's a great site, would deff. recommend viewing it before deciding who to give your hard earned money too.

[firenresq77]

I am going to try to get our FF's Association to donate to a FD down there or at least to the NVFC....... I think they need a whole lot of help and won't see it for awhile coming from the FEDS or anywhere else....... I prefer to support our own, first........... Then the people who didn't want to heed the warnings to get out....

[chipjumper]

Good deal.

[firenresq77]

Not giving one penny toward God's work. Let them clean up after their own MAN MADE DISASTER!

The problem there is that the city does not lie after what Mother Nature left behind a week ago but after what started to happen 40 years ago. The degredation of mankind and the absence of morals has resulted in what we watch on tv today. The failure for government from the ground up (beginning at the family level) to work AT ALL has created this cesspool before and after.

No use cryin' over spilt milk. Just bitch about who's gonna clean it up!

KILROY WAS HERE

You really must have been hittin the sauce tonight........

[parafire81]

I think I'd probably give to the Red Cross before I contributed to Helping Our Own. Not to downplay the fact that many FD's have been affected, but this is not 9/11 where the biggest loss and focus of media coverage was the 343+ firefighters who were killed in those attacks.

This is a natural disaster that has leveled entire cities and displaced well over 500,000 people and killed god knows how many. While there are no doubt FD's, firefighters, and firefighter's familys that have been affected, I would rather help on a grander scope!

As for this rubbish:

"Not giving one penny toward God's work. Let them clean up after their own MAN MADE DISASTER!

The problem there is that the city does not lie after what Mother Nature left behind a week ago but after what started to happen 40 years ago. The degredation of mankind and the absence of morals has resulted in what we watch on tv today. The failure for government from the ground up (beginning at the family level) to work AT ALL has created this cesspool before and after.

No use cryin' over spilt milk. Just bitch about who's gonna clean it up!

KILROY WAS HERE?"

I'm with firenresq77...you had to be hammered when you wrote this!

While there is no doubt some bad planning to blame for a small part of this disaster...you sound like that dickhead leading Al-Qaida who was quoted as saying "this is God's retirbution on the ills of the United States"

As far as I'm concerned that's the same as ****ing on the flag

[chipjumper]

Only sauce I hit is A-1.

The reference to "God's work" can be replaced with "Mother Nature" for you religious freaks.

[ttjjss]

Guys
I believe that ALL the charities need our help, and which one you support is of course, up to you.
As for direct dept help, I agree that many need basic life support supplies for now, then Basic firefighting gear and equip next.
We have several poor depts signed up from down in that area and know there are many more that will need help.
Helping Our Own, Inc is putting together a trailer load of mainly turnouts plus some other gear BUT, there arent enough funds to get it there yet. It is coming in slowly because most people are donating to the Red Cross, Salvation Army etc. and I am speaking on my behalf, Not HOO when I say that I agree the first priorities should be water, food ,clothing etc. THEN whatever the depts need to be able to help their folks. I hope it can be going on at the same time as the other relief supplies but if they dont have anything to drink or eat then turnouts wont help. It is going to take an effort on everyones part to get through this.
If the funds would come in, Helping Our Own could be running hundreds of trailer loads of gear and equipment to hundreds of departments down there.
It is a shame that all that gear and equipment is just sitting in firehouses all over the USA when it could be put into front line service by departments that dont have even Basic gear.
Helping Our Own has the contacts and knows where ton after ton of this gear is at but when there is NO budget and NO funds, its hard to get it moved !
Just remember, for every Dollar donated to H.O.O., AT LEAST $10 worth of gear can be distributed to the neediest departments.
If we can outfit many of these depts, then they can be a bigger help to themselves and their neighbors.
There is a link on the HOO website to donate if you so desire....
Asst Chief Tyler Sitzer
Weiner Fire & Rescue Dept, Weiner , ARK &
Ark Coordinator for Helping Our Own, Inc. www.helpingourown.org

[ChiefReason]

Religious remarks aside, he voiced his opinion for his reasons. Regardless of his state of mind when he posted, agree or disagree. Discuss it if you want.
I disagree with him, because I believe that regardless of the cause/root of the problem, some people have found themselves there who had no choice.
Help them or don't, but don't judge the ones who do or who don't.
Another thread that could die an early death...
Or is that the plan?
CR

[ftlaudcop]

does your local church have affiliations that you can trust,
rather than these " professional do gooders" who always have their
hand caught in the cookie jar..?




www.schackdaddy.com

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

Try:

www.worldvision.com
www.samaritanspurse.com

[osfd100]

I have to agree with the original post. I did not give to the Red Cross However I did make a worthwhile contribution elsewhere.

I have to disagree with Deputy Marshall about the 9 out of every 10 dollars going to the victims That is just not the case. The overhead costs for the Red Cross are just to high. And in some cases they refuse to release figures on their operational vs administrative costs.

The money they took in under the premise that it would go to the WTC Victims and Families and ongoing support - compared to what they actually gave back is not even close to 9 out of 10.

Do I believe the Red Cross to be a viable relief organization - ABSOLUTELY

They need to get out of the make-up room, off the podium off all the news interviews and out to the people.

A little Less blowing their own horn and back to the steet would be a good first step.

THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT I WANT TO MAKE IS TO GIVE TO SOMEBODY!!!

[Bones42]

Yesterday, I flipped from local news to Fox to CNN to MSNBC for about half hour total. Maybe it was just me, but I saw quite a few images with Red Cross people and/or vehicles behind the reports handing out food/water/supplies.

Although, I'm sure some people will think they were carrying the news crews around just so they could get some good publicity shots.

[ChiefReason]

From what I understand of the situation, the Red Cross was ready to respond to Katrina, but FEMA wasn't ready for the Red Cross. At least, that's what the head of the Red Cross was saying today on the news.
And the Army basically took over for the Red Cross in the early hours of the Convention Center by providing food and water for evacuees.
At least, that's what the Army was saying on the news today.
CR

[FEMAwhatajoke]

Thanks Bob, I probably could have stated my position a bit differently. What they do, they do well. I just want to make a difference directly to somone in need, not have my donation go toward paying the Executive Salaries.......

Both are good ideas, I too appreciated the Red Cross at the Pentagon the evening of 9-11. After a day of protien bars and water their hot chicken dinner was great. However I also like the idea of getting stuff to our own, my group and I have gone shopping for clothes and other stuff "even T-shirts and sweats which we all wear around the station" anything we as firefighters may have lost in the Hurricane, you know the necessities and also the creature comforts. We are having them delivered to some of the Brothers down there. Who best to shop for firefighters than firefighters.

[confire106]

i have a huge problom with giving anything to the red cross, after 911, they did not use the money for what it was intended to be used for. The red cross actually hoarded the money, and until they were forced to give it up they didnt!!! i personally like the idea of giving from one firefighter to another. Atleast you know that they will get the stuff. This is just ones opinion.