Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Tip

Red Cross losing credibility

Sep 8, 2017 7:59AM PDT

I've noticed that the Red Cross is increasingly asking for monetary donations or similar. It certainly provides across the board access to buying whatever is needed but also allows one to question just is happening to these funds. The main administrator that runs RC is paid a handsome salary and considering this is an .ORG providing help when needed, it comes across to generous for a salary and other benefits. Not only that but apparently the lack luster responses as well and even then the volunteers provide their help free. Now this Yahoo article furthers erodes confidence.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/hurricane-harvey-texas-politicians-warn-112158760.html

You would think the RC being around a long time would know how to respond or provided services quickly and readily once a disaster is upon them. Something is amiss. -----Willy Happy

Note: Moderator edited title for spelling.

Post was last edited on September 8, 2017 8:07 AM PDT

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
I'm presuming you are referring to
Sep 8, 2017 9:41AM PDT

the "American" Red Cross as there are several using the Red Cross moniker. What I use to vet a charity is

Charity Navigator so here's now the American Red Cross fares with them. When I was younger, I visited their downtown blood donation location on a regular basis. I got free cookies and juice to replace what I'd lost. A bout of lymphoma made me permanently deferred so I cannot return. However, they've been using a robo-call system weekly asking for blood that I'm not allowed to donate. As for slow response times, I need to wonder if some of the larger organizations are beginning to experience issues with creeping bureaucratic type issues where they can longer just jump in with both feet to offer help. The little guy with a big heart and a rowboat doesn't even need to think about such things.

- Collapse -
RC blood
Sep 9, 2017 8:35AM PDT

As I understand it, RC charges for blood that it provides, while it is given free to them. Sure, expenses and what have you it does seem to give a negative view. Yeah, being a large bureaucracy it does seem to be showing that but if the city impacted by disaster is saying, don't give" woo that says alot. -----Willy Happy

- Collapse -
500 million seems to still be in the discussion.
Sep 8, 2017 9:46AM PDT
- Collapse -
I read something from a "real" Haitian at the time.
Sep 9, 2017 5:39AM PDT

He was there through the quake, in decent health, literate and as well-informed on the chaos as anyone can be in chaos. He said, of the cash he knew of, NONE of it was getting to the people. He didn't mean cash grants, he meant in food, clothing, shelter. There were large amounts pledged by ARC, and George Clooney's own personal telethon. [It's said one million came from one of his Ocean's Eleven buddies, alone.] From what I know of him, none of it stuck to his fingers while HE had control of it. The ARC and Haitian intake people? Can't say.
One reason I recommended supporting local help where possible: Aid transportation was of course a problem. Hispaniola is an island; planes couldn't land, and ships are slow to load and to travel. The first urgent need of course was searching rubble and treating survivors. We had several medical and other trained first reponders employed in the Dominican Republic, which is better-off than its neighbor. They simply walked over the border into Haiti and set to work.
I heard about it at one of our conventions via a summary of a favorable article in a Dominican paper. I looked it up and read it [online]. Good article with dozens of comments - almost all of which could have been written by a couple of our SE people: We're untrustworthy, we have a fraudulent background, and we don't believe in the Trinity. Happy Go figure.
Anyway, if you have a group you can trust at a disaster, call them and ask specifically what the needs are.

- Collapse -
"Note: Moderator edited title for spelling."
Sep 8, 2017 5:06PM PDT

But we love Willy anyway. Happy

- Collapse -
ARC has been known for high overhead
Sep 8, 2017 5:20PM PDT

for decades, even w/o shenanigans, also known. Local donation of $ is always better, labor more so.
Our HQ has put out a call for warm bodies to go to Houston, and will no doubt get a response similar to the other times. My wife and I can't do that anymore, but we hope to be able to make room for Witness refugees* in our home. [After Katrina our small NM town got two transplants from N.O. that I know of.]

*Generally, our on-site people will work on any dwelling nearby that needs it, bearing in mind Gal 6:10. Taking someone into one's home is a different story for most.