Helping Hands
Oct 28th, 2005 at 12:39 pm by Susie
Interesting. I’ve heard many, many tales of the Red Cross using funds wastefully but since I’m in no position to verify that, I haven’t thought much about it until lately:
The American Red Cross said yesterday that its response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita has depleted its Disaster Relief Fund, forcing it to borrow $340 million to cover costs — the first time in its 124-year history that the charity has sought a loan for disaster relief.
Of the $2 billion in donations the organization said it needs to handle relief efforts from the Gulf Coast hurricanes, it has received $1.3 billion and spent all of it. “Our best projections indicate we’re going to have a shortfall of about $400 million,” spokeswoman Carrie Martin said. “We’re still determining how much Wilma will cost.”
The financial problems come as some members of Congress and other relief agencies have begun to question the Red Cross’s Katrina response, its largest ever. Many of the difficulties the charity has encountered this year mirror problems that surfaced in past catastrophes, records and interviews show.
The Red Cross holds near-mythic status as the premier U.S. disaster relief agency, a role reinforced by the federal government, which has incorporated the organization as a key part of its disaster response.
But the $3 billion charity spends two-thirds of its resources on blood collection, not disaster relief. And 90 percent of its disasters are small fires and local mishaps. During larger events — such as violent storms, wildfires and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks — the Red Cross has stumbled repeatedly, misleading donors on how contributions are used and underserving victims, particularly in rural minority communities, according to other relief groups and experts on nonprofit agencies.
The American Red Cross is a Republican organization, recently headed by Libby Dole, and currently headed by a woman who has made large campaign contributions to Republicans.
Send your contributions elsewhere; they don’t deserve a dime of your money.
As far as blood donations go–this is a real act o’ charity (and should, IMO, be good for a little tax deduction).
But most good-sized hospitals have their own bloodbanks–and they would love to get some free blood (i.e. blood that they don’t have to pay the Red Cross for).
So if you want to donate some, consider calling whatever hospital you and yours are most likely to land in if the god-forbid should happen.
…and, God forbid, if you’re gay, they won’t take your blood at all!