Who would you guys donate money to for Katrina?

Salvation Army gets my vote.

Bias against the Red Cross though. Use to donate blood until they banned me.

1. Served in the Gulf first time around (Gulf war syndrome scare)
2. Lived in Europe (mad cow scare).

Funny how the government says there is no such thing as the "Gulf war syndrome", but they do not want your blood.

Chris

The Salvation Army pays their Director less than a limo driver makes working for the Red Cross. The Red Cross is loaded with high salary executives.

To ad to that.....how much does Red Cross sell your donated blood for?

Certainly would not be the Red Cross, thats for sure

Personally I would go with Salvation Army.....

============================================== Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked! "The original frugal ponder" ~~~~ } ~~~~~~ } ~~~~~~~ }

Salvation Army is a good one. During Hurricane Andrew relief effort in Homestead, S Florida, they had a strong presence. Also can write a check to US Treasury and note Katrina relief effort on check. Except, this doesn't qualify for the administrative a**holes stipulation of your post.

JohnF wrote in article ...

Let's see......

The Red Cross siphoned donated money intended for 9-11 victim relief into other accounts.

They take your blood without compensation and sell it for .....how much????

There are few - if any - ex-military people (especially WW II vets) who have anything good to say about the way the Red Cross "helped" them.

My dad was a POW in Stalag 17 for 19 months and received toilet paper - not food - from the Red Cross. He cursed them until the day he died. I would feel very disrespectful to my father's memory if I gave money to the Red Cross.

I chose the Salvation Army ONCE for a donation of a few hundred dollars, and was solicited at least six times per year for several years after that. They will not ever get another cent from me.

What my wife and I have done for the last several years is to go down to the local chain supermarket, buy a bunch of gift certificates, then give them to leaders of local, well-established churches to distribute to the less fortunate among their parishoners.

We've also given some certificates to the local homeless shelter and the local food bank to buy necessary items.

I believe the small, local operations - especially the ones run by volunteers - are far less likely to have money shrink through bureaucratic red tape and more goes to where it was intended to go.

Just my opinion.........

Oddly I don't recall red cross appeals for blood, certainly after the first day or so. It was very apparent at that point that folks mostly either walked away or were dead.

Everyone *wanted* to give blood. Around here they were turned away.

Jim

Jim,

My story came from a nurse at the Boston chapter. She stopped volunteering shortly after that. Just might not be at all places, as each chapter is different and completely / somewhat independent from what I know.

She did mention that the blood they did collect just sat there. Never picked up. Eventually was thrown away or what every they do with old blood.

Do hope they did not throw it in a dumpster. I could only imagine the dump truck leaking blood after pick up.

Chris

Human blood is only good for a small period of time after it's donated. After that they have to throw it away.

In the NY metro area, they began telling folks to not show up, and to refuse them when they did show up to donate. Because there was such a huge response, they filled their needs (which were not much larger than their usual needs I suspect) right away.

They can't save it. They didn't ask for it. They can't make bloodwurst out of it. So it is discarded as a matter of course.

Jim

Think of it as an investment; if you donate and then happen to have the misfortune to need blood, it's there and you don't get charged for it.

John

Salvation Army first - then *any other outfit OTHER than the Red Cross*.... providing the Red Cross hasn't somehow managed to dip their pinkies into the other organizations donations (like United Fund...) Ken.

Actually the storage and testing cost very little per liter. The last number I heard was 13 dollars per liter. They then break the blood down into components and use those. Whole blood is seldom used any more.

As an EMT in NY I can tell you the Red Cross has NOTHING to do with my training. It is paid for by the FD or ambulance corp. The training is controlled by the hospital that sponsors the Central New York EMS providers. (Saint Lukes in Utica is ours). I paid for my own books and training the first time (1800.00 total).

Have heard the same thing from a LOT of former service personnel who were screwed by the RC. My uncle was one of them. He had been "given" money by the RC because of a payroll problem. When he was discharged they refused to allow the paperwork to go through until he repaid the RC for the money he was given.

If I remember correctly those loans also come with a hefty interest. I do remember hearing the rate once, almost fell over. Much better rate at the bank.

Afterthought (before I get jumped on).

I do remember something about an interest free loan from RC, but as I recall they are very hard to get, and take to long to get approved, thus most just take the interest one.

Might be wrong though.

I do remember the loans from RC being more a less a joke. Mostly people who were bad at money and could not get a loan from a bank, went there as a last resort.

Either group would probably be fine, but I would definitely specify for Katrina Disaster Relief only. That is how my donation to the Red Cross is going.

It's best to give to someone you know. Salvation army is 2nd and I don't know if there is even a 3rd.

Salvation Army without a doubt. The ARC has screwed me over several times during emergencies. Just ask a Korean Vet if you have any doubts. Bugs

My first wife's uncle was shot down behind enemy lines over Italy during WWII. He spent a year hiding out, and when he found the Red Cross they refused to help him because he'd lost his dog tags. He told me that story 35 years later and was still steamed at them.

-B