HOUSTON (KTRK) -- At least one city leader is questioning the Red Cross's choice of hotels while coming to Houston to help with Harvey relief. City Councilman Dave Martin dubbed the charity the "Red Loss." He made the point last week at city hall, claiming he hadn't seen the charity in his district. Five days later, they still haven't shown up in Kingwood, Martin claims. Flood victims like Ronald Leggett, who live in Kingwood echo Martin's complaints. "I haven't seen them," Leggett said. "I've been here almost every day." But that's not what really has Martin upset. Some of the luckiest Red Cross volunteers are staying the night at the St. Regis Hotel, one of the city's finest 5-star places to spend the night. ABC13 Investigates found Red Cross vans parked outside the hotel along the street in an area marked for limousines over the weekend. The Red Cross admits it had 20 volunteers staying there for days on end, due to "limited availability" they say, in the Houston area. (Excerpt) Read more at abc13.com ... 5 E'fing stars - nut'ns too good for the RC. A pox on the lot of 'em. /.
60 years ago when I was in the USAF, the Sallies were always at the train stations passing out coffee and furnishing a place to rest until the next train, always first at disaster passing out coffee and sandwiches, and never asked for a dime. Red Cross and reporters showed up when we were wrapping things up for the photo's. Every one's opinion may differ but in my limited experience the church groups, Baptists and LDS seem to do a real good job, and the Coast Guard, National Guard, police and firemen, and volunteers like the Cajun Navy, are the ones most likely to save your butt if not your house.
A member at my local American Legion Post, put out a jug and started collecting money for the Texas victims , before Irma hit. Anyway, he looked into which charity helped the most, besides the church's, he found that the American Legion is one of the organizations that gives the highest percentage of their donations to the victims. Now I'm not advocating that any one group should benefit more than any other group here , but he said that the A. L. makes the majority of their donations straight to displaced veterans. For what it's worth, you could check into this.
As if things couldn't worse oh, wait. Report: Red Cross Was Stealing from Church Doorsteps to Redistribute or Sell Items for Profit? (VIDEO)
While I hate to sound biased, I agree with SB21, it always seems to me that the best bang for a buck spent is always taking care of your own, family, vets, fellow church members, etc. You aren't doing it as a cause or to make a buck, but just helping family. Had a local charity that operated nation wide and did do very good work, but over 70 % of the money collected went to salaries, fund raising, and other overhead, all legal expenses and no fraud involved. The local Legion post helped out a vet with a bad addiction problem and I da** well believe shell shock even if the VA doesn't. They wouldn't give him a dime cash, paid rent, had an account at a restaurant for his food, owned by one of the members, made sure he stayed warm and took him to his medical appointments and finely got him straightened out. As near as I can figure out they spent about 110 % of the money collected directly on his care with no overhead, case workers, etc. Son lives in Florida, thank God and some preps, they came through OK, and if I do "aid" the victims in Florida , I kind of figure he will get the majority of my money and I just don't know yet how much it will be and I doubt very much that I will be able to write it off my taxes as a charity donation.
The Red Cross always has a disclaimer like your donation will help with disaster relief "like" Harvey or Irma it nevers say where also my Uncle's during WWII would alway get free anything from The Salvation Army but Red Cross sold a Soldier a toothbrush and such. Sorry Red Cross will put my money to good use elsewhere
I have not donated to Rec Cross in years. Feed the Children, Catholic Charities or Salvation Army are the ones that I prefer. If I hear of a good church organization then I will donate to them but not the Red Cross.
Saw reports that claim the religious organizations help much more and give much more then anyone else... guess where my donations go...
I will point out that the Baptist Men's Organization is noted to be the first on site at many emergencies and they have no overhead as they are completely funded by the church, thus, any money you give them is one hundred percent given to the cause you choose. Having said that, when we lived in South America I was impressed by Catholic Charities' emergency work. They do great work and they don't leave. Is it possible that the Red Cross couldn't find a place to stay and they didn't want to take up space in the shelters? Obviously they didn't do a great job, pretty sure Ditch Witch mentioned that, also.
After years overseas and seeing how these so called Relief and Non-Profit organizations actually use the money they are given - well - I gave up on all of them years ago. The International Red Cross and the American Red Cross are no better than the rest, and are actually worse in many cases. I do not donate to any organization - none of them - and if I want to give money to some relief effort then I try to give it directly to an individual or family that needs it. Right or wrong, that is what I do because I have seen them first-hand in action.
A good friend had family that was "helped" by the Red Cross and after word demanded payment. I don't know if any church that pulled those kind of shenanigans.
Report: Red Cross Was Stealing from Church Doorsteps to Redistribute or Sell Items for Profit? (VIDEO) Nuff said.
Might want to rethink Feed the Children Charity Navigator - CN Advisory of Feed the Children they've been flagged. And sued.
Just saw on the weather channel that the red Cross was preparing to open 4 shelters in the keys. Not 4 more, no the their first 4. WTF they must religiously stick to bankers hours and not believe in ever working past 4. Do all the people who fail out of working finance in the military end up there?.