I want to donate and am leaning towards Salvation Army. I've heard the Red Cross keeps much more money for themselves than Sal Army and have met people who had bad experiences with Red Cross.
Who are you all donating to and why?

 

Let me tell you.....I went to a church here about 3 blocks away and asked about clothing donations. They informed they did not want USED clothes or USED shoes. I ended up taking a family home with me and let them go thru the clothing. They ended up with 4-5 bags of clothing for 7 people. That kinda infuriated me. The people have NOTHING and the Red Cross won't take what we have to give. I have 10 more bags of clothes and shoes for the taking. So after that, I won't ask the Red Cross, I have others that will take it.

 

I heard on the tv this morning that they had a whole bunch of shoes, pants, and shirts and whats really needed right now is more undergarmets. That of course has to be new. Well it doesn't have to be but they dont take used nonetheless.

 

After 9-11, the Red Cross raised over 40mil for the families of the murdered victims. Howard Stern started a charity as well and suceeded in raising over 12mil. Some one called his show and told him the RC was not "using" the money for what it was donated for. Stern called the RC on the air from his show and asked them where the money was going. The RC refused to answer and to this day has NEVER said where the money went. I used to give the RC $50 a pay check out of my USAF pay. After that, I stopped the donation and have given them a dime since. Just food for thought...

I donated to the USAF Aid Society. There are over 5000 military personnel & family members whose homes were destroyed in the gulf area. I just can't justify giving to any other org after I saw a TV interview of a person, who didn't leave when the Gov told her and her family to evacuate, lives in LA. She was a like 350lb fat slob who barely spoke English ranting about how the Government needed to "come on down hyar and gives us some money sow whees can by us new hous. Why should whees have to ax for da mony, the gubment should be givin us da money". If that's the BEST person you can find to put on TV to show the plight of the huricane victims, then sorry, my money's going to help my USAF comrades. Besides, since when is the Gov required to give you money for a new house??? Isn't that what home-owners insurance is for??? Didn't the Gov tell your illiterate as$ to leave the area??? I hate to be cynical but I'm REALLY tired of people expecting hand outs because they are stupid. I have home-owners insurance that covers everything except floods (I don't live in a flood plain) and its only $315 a year. If you can't afford $315 a year for a good home owners insurance policy, cut out McD's once a week and you'll have enough.

KC-10 FE out...

 

I was talking to my grandmother today about things. She told me this story:

"when your grandfather was in the war (wwII), anything from the red cross (even coffee) he had to pay something for. The Salvation Army however, never asked a thing from the soldiers they were helping. Your grandpa never forgot that..."

 

Speaking of home owners insurance...I thought that it was MANDATORY to have it if you financed your home?! Now granted alot of these people were probably living off of welfare, but my renters insurance is $23.00 a month for $30,000.00 worth of personal property and a $250.00 deductible. To me, $250.00 for an entire household of items is worth it. I don't believe I have $30k worth of property.

 

I ain’t giving a damn penny to any charity that may help any of them animals down there. Since there is no way to insure the money don’t go to some of them animals I am thinking about actually giving to a foundation that helps real animals, like dogs…

Screw them idiots, the majority had every opportunity to get out and I don’t want some scumbag that shots at people trying to rescue others, getting one penny of MY money…

 

Choose your charity wisely...

Personally, I'm donating to the ASPCA (www.aspca.org - American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)... here's why... While I know that there are a lot of folks in the area that desperately need help, I cringe to think that my hard earned money could go to a person that just stole 2 HDTVs and pocketed a 4-carat diamond ring from a jewelry store that he/she looted. Food and water is one thing; merchandise that doesn't sustain life is another. While I know this isn't the case with everyone, I simply don't know of a way that my money can specifically go to help someone that 'NEEDS' the help and is an affected citizen rather than a thug that happened to be in the right place at the, for him or her, right time.

We are all Americans here. We all have choices on where our funds, resources, and help will flow. To date, I know of no other way to support this cause that will satisfy my very strict standard of helping someone (or something in this case) that genuinely needs the help versus is there for a handout after shooting at a cop, rescue helicopter, evacuee, or something similar.

Maybe it's inhumane that I'd rather help the animals that have been affected by this disaster but, I cringe to think that my money... my hard earned money... could go to put a shirt on the back of a guy that just walked home with a HDTV out of a store and stole a 4 carat diamond ring. All the while shooting at a police officer for trying to stop him.... again, like I said, I know that this 'profile' isn't the norm down there but, unfortunately, there's no way for me to differentiate between good and bad from a chair in Kentucky...

My thoughts, prayers, hopes, and best wishes are with anyone who is in the area helping, is affected by the disaster, or is hoping to find someone that was in the area. What we, as Americans, are dealing with now is on a scale that no one has experienced during our generation. We will get through this but, it's going to take a long period of time, patience, and determination. This country is the best on the planet; it's time for everyone to come together and show the world that the looting, stealing, and pillaging that the media is showing isn't what we're all about.

RP

 

I personally don't care for the Red Cross. Anytime I have ever decided to give to help I have either been told that my new purchases were not needed (and they were things that I would never use myself) or that I needed to give cash so that THEY could decide what they needed to spend the money on.

You can't tell me that 223,000 evacuees can't use a bag full of used t-shirts, pants, shorts, socks, and shoes? Let me tell you, right now it's really hard to do laundry for 223,000 people, so you have to have several changes of clothing per person.

The Salvation Army has never denied anything that I have given them, nor have they EVER told me that cash was a better donation than what I was giving them. As I was told by a Salvation Army person (in words kind of like this).... "This is your junk, but it's gold to someone else. By your donation of these items that you no longer need or use, it might be the thing that saves someone else's life."

A similar story to the above: my grandfather fought in WWII and he said that the Salvation Army was always there to help him. He was denied any kind of assistance from the Red Cross.

 

Oh, and the SPCA is a good charity to give to as well. I received notice that the SPCA and Humane Society branches in the Dallas area are being flooded either by "refugee dogs" or by Louisiana evacuees who brought their dog and can no longer afford to keep them. It takes roughly $5.00 per day per dog to house, feed, and maintain. When they're taking on dogs by the hundreds on a budget that is already VERY thin, they could use the money just about as badly as everyone else.

 

Over the years I've heard that story from a number of WW2 vets. I once asked a friend who worked for the Red Cross about it. She said, "I wish they had just given those damn donuts away!"

I also would go with the Salvation Army.

 

Decided to give to Salvation Army. Not everyone is a looter or shooting at police(they should have been shot on site). There are people in MS who lost everything also.

No, I can't control who the money goes to, but I feel obligated to help out my fellow Americans. BTW, I did not make any donation to tsunami relief as I feel Americans come first.
While I'm sure ASPCA is a fine organization, sorry I feel human life is more important than an animals( I do own a cat and a dog BTW)

I've seen descent people (on TV) defending what remained of their homes. Don't these people deserve help? Again, I cannot control who exactly gets aid, but I find it hard to turn my back on American citizens.

 

Amen!

 

Is ASPCA the one's that left the animals in their cages to drown? They would have been better off in the streets.