Katrina SOLUTIONS

"And what do they do with the money? For the most part, they keep it for themselves! Recall how the families of the victims of 911 had to badger, harass, and threaten the Red Cross in an attempt to get some 11 million dollars that they would not release to the families-even a year later? And that's what we were told in the media, but how much money did the Red Cross really rake in from 9-11? "

"...One charity has stayed above all this for 137 years. The Salvation Army is unique among all U.S. charities for many reasons. Let’s start at the top. Commissioner Todd Bassett receives a salary just $13,000 per year (plus housing) for managing this $2 Billion dollar organization. By comparison, Brian Gallagher, President of the United Way receives a $375,000 base salary (plus numerous expensive benefits) and the Red Cross President Marsha Evans receives $450,000 plus benefits..."

http://educate-yourself.org/cn/redcross … pe05.shtml

Another place that might be good to network is http://www.katrinasurvivornetwork.com.  It's new and it also is a place for survivors to contact each other, but it looks like a really good place to link directly with survivors.  I hear the Astrodome is getting internet access.

Interesting!   Well, regardless of anybody's religious beliefs, if the Jehovah's Witnesses are one of the only true non-profit non profit orgs, and they're the only ones who seem to be able to get stuff organized and going, and the money truly is used for what it's intended to be used for, then I'm all for it.   After reading the research provided in Jina Henry's letter at the bottom of the page, it sounds like the best bet to me.  It's a shame too that they haven't gotten more praise for what they do.  Not that they're looking or expecting praise, but still, the Red Cross gets all the attention, when it's the "little guys" who quietly slip through and quietly do what needs to be done and take care of business.   I'm so sick of all the focus on the Red Cross. It's like everybody's automatic default organization to pick when they make donations.  Nobody has any imagination to look for other alternatives.   At several jobs now, I've gotten emails pertaining to hurricane relief funds, and they were all for the Red Cross, Red Cross, Red Cross!   bah! 

Anyway, thanks again for the info.

One big organization that I believe is reputable is Second Harvest (http://www.secondharvest.org).  Mostly, they get donations from grocers of outdated, overstocked, damaged items, that are still edible; they just can't sell it readily.  Second Harvest distributes this to other food banks.  This takes advantage of existing supplies simply by reducing waste, which I think is a really good idea.  I also believe this organization was involved with a food bank I volunteered with a while ago.  They distributed food through the Food Bank of the Rockies which distributed it to the food bank I was at. 

The other idea I had, which I do not know if they have this available in Louisiana is the SHARE Program.  SHARE provides boxes of meat, fruit and vegetables to people for half the normal price.  You can also purchase a box for others.  So, for $20 you could purchase a $40+ food box, filled with meat, fruit, and vegatables, which goes *directly* to a family in need.  I know they do this in CO.  I think it is a nationwide program, but I can't find info for Louisiana or the other nearby states .  They are part of Catholic Charities, though. 

Another general thing, DIAPERS are a big big item that people need.  Any charity which distributes diapers would be a good idea.  I know this from experience and from working at the food bank.  They are greatly needed, expensive, and they are generally used very quickly.

About the Salvation Army and clothes, they end up shipping most of the donated clothes abroad.  I think they could easily send out a couple sets of clothes for each survivor right now.  I know how they operate.    What they do in the local stores is:

1. The donated items are sent to a central warehouse and sorted.
2. Huge bins are sent out to the stores.
3. Items are placed on the rack from 4-6 weeks.
4. Items not sold (a large %) are bagged and returned to warehouse.
5. Clothes are then compressed into huge bricks and shipped to "3rd world countries"

In the stores there is a constant stream of clothes coming in and going out, not because they are the latest fashion, just the latest load.  In a way it helps to form a sweatshop circle: clothes manufactured abroad with cheap labor, sold at high prices in US, sent through an assembly line through the poor neighborhoods, shipped back abroad as "charity". 

The Salvation Army could very easily direct its trucks to drive to the camps and hand out the clothes instead of placing them on the ridiculous assembly line.  I know this because I did "community service" for driving without insurance.  After several days of racking and unracking nearly identical items, I asked the manager how the system works and she explained the above process.  She said she even visited the docks and saw the huge bricks of clothes.  I am not sure they will be willing to disrupt their system, but they have more than enough clothes to take care of the survivors probably right now.  Diverting the clothes would not take anything away from the local thrift stores.  The money spent on driving the trucks could be saved from skipping a few cargo shipments.

Finally,  I know that right now the survivors need hope.  They need to know that people care, especially the ones who were trapped at the Superdome.    And I thought one way to accomplish this would be to start a card-writing campaign.    I think truckloads of letters sent to the Astrodome and other shelters from caring Americans would be a great antidote to the images of dispair that have been splashed all over the tube and internet.  

I've settled on the card project and promoting the Katrina Survivor Network website, because I remember how alone I felt before and how much it helped having an online support group with people who had been through similar experiences.

Lyra,
See post #5 for the Katrina Network site http://www.katrinasurvivornetwork.com.  It looks like this site was just set up and then left in the hopes that someone would use it.  So, I figured we and others could just move in....

The card thing I thought up at 2 this morning.  So, its not very developed yet, except in my head, and I am going to be drinking lots of coffee today.   For a name I am currently thinking 'Hurricane Hope', as in start our own hurricane of hope.   Getting schools and kids involved would be great.    I guess I will try to get a basic page with the addresses to send cards and do a big press release and try to get people to promote it through word of mouth.

Wow, I just checked www.hurricanehope.com and it's a basic site asking for people to find a way to use it.  damn...

Sending email...