[OT] Katrina Donations?

I just saw a news blurb that said Abu Dabi gave 100 *million* dollars to
hurricane Katrina relief. There have been *BILLIONS* of dollars donated
now.

I reiterate, every single member of my family and all of my friends were
totally wiped out by Katrina. *NOT A SINGLE ONE* of them have received any
of those donations or been given any information about when they might
receive any of those donations, NOT. ONE. PERSON.

Where are these funds going????!!!

Don't get me wrong, most of my family and friends are getting back on their
feet on their own, slowly rebuilding their lives. But nobody has heard even
any offers of help from the Red Cross, Salvation Army, or United Way much
less any of the "celebrity" funds.

I really think there needs to be an investigation into where this money is
going - people are being generous beyond belief, and I think they are being
had - big time!

Hugs,

CatNipped

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
I just saw a news blurb that said Abu Dabi gave 100 *million* dollars to
hurricane Katrina relief. There have been *BILLIONS* of dollars donated
now.

I reiterate, every single member of my family and all of my friends were
totally wiped out by Katrina. *NOT A SINGLE ONE* of them have received
any
of those donations or been given any information about when they might
receive any of those donations, NOT. ONE. PERSON.

Where are these funds going????!!!

Don't get me wrong, most of my family and friends are getting back on
their
feet on their own, slowly rebuilding their lives. But nobody has heard
even
any offers of help from the Red Cross, Salvation Army, or United Way much
less any of the "celebrity" funds.

I really think there needs to be an investigation into where this money is
going - people are being generous beyond belief, and I think they are
being
had - big time!

Hugs,

CatNipped



I can ask the exact same question, Cat. My family got wiped out, too, and
they've been staying in a hotel in Mississippi, paying for it on credit
card, this whole time. Where is *their* money? Where are clothes for them?
It makes me so angry to think the government just takes everything and gives
everything to other countries. TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN, D*MM*T!

kili ------- off her soapbox, but it's really aggravating.

kilikini wrote:


I can ask the exact same question, Cat. My family got wiped out, too, and
they've been staying in a hotel in Mississippi, paying for it on credit
card, this whole time. Where is *their* money? Where are clothes for them?
It makes me so angry to think the government just takes everything and gives
everything to other countries. TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN, D*MM*T!

kili ------- off her soapbox, but it's really aggravating.

Well, that's terrible to hear. Did they register with FEMA, and apply
with Red Cross, and still didn't receive any aid at all?

Sherry

CatNipped wrote:
I just saw a news blurb that said Abu Dabi gave 100 *million* dollars
to hurricane Katrina relief. There have been *BILLIONS* of dollars
donated now.

(snippage)

Don't get me wrong, most of my family and friends are getting back on
their feet on their own, slowly rebuilding their lives. But nobody
has heard even any offers of help from the Red Cross, Salvation Army,
or United Way much less any of the "celebrity" funds.

No offense intended, but I don't donate to these organizations because they
care more about funding high priced executive meetings at resorts than they
do about taking care of the people they are supposed to help. The only
thing I donate is is clothing, canned and boxed food goods - things they
can't turn into pure profit. Sorry, no money. I don't have any, anyway.
But you can be damn sure if I needed it, disaster or not, they wouldn't give
it to me.

The Red Cross didn't even bother to tell my father I'd been born.

Jill

I'm serious here. You should all write Anderson Cooper. He'll do coverage on
that. I mean, if you have applied and no aid is forth coming, there is a
deep problem. Cooper has done pieces before off "write ins" and usually it
helps.


"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
CatNipped wrote:
I just saw a news blurb that said Abu Dabi gave 100 *million* dollars
to hurricane Katrina relief. There have been *BILLIONS* of dollars
donated now.

(snippage)

Don't get me wrong, most of my family and friends are getting back on
their feet on their own, slowly rebuilding their lives. But nobody
has heard even any offers of help from the Red Cross, Salvation Army,
or United Way much less any of the "celebrity" funds.

No offense intended, but I don't donate to these organizations because
they
care more about funding high priced executive meetings at resorts than
they
do about taking care of the people they are supposed to help. The only
thing I donate is is clothing, canned and boxed food goods - things they
can't turn into pure profit. Sorry, no money. I don't have any, anyway.
But you can be damn sure if I needed it, disaster or not, they wouldn't
give
it to me.

The Red Cross didn't even bother to tell my father I'd been born.

Jill

"Karen" wrote in message
...
I'm serious here. You should all write Anderson Cooper. He'll do coverage
on
that. I mean, if you have applied and no aid is forth coming, there is a
deep problem. Cooper has done pieces before off "write ins" and usually it
helps.


"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
CatNipped wrote:
I just saw a news blurb that said Abu Dabi gave 100 *million* dollars
to hurricane Katrina relief. There have been *BILLIONS* of dollars
donated now.

(snippage)

Don't get me wrong, most of my family and friends are getting back on
their feet on their own, slowly rebuilding their lives. But nobody
has heard even any offers of help from the Red Cross, Salvation Army,
or United Way much less any of the "celebrity" funds.

No offense intended, but I don't donate to these organizations because
they
care more about funding high priced executive meetings at resorts than
they
do about taking care of the people they are supposed to help. The only
thing I donate is is clothing, canned and boxed food goods - things they
can't turn into pure profit. Sorry, no money. I don't have any,
anyway.
But you can be damn sure if I needed it, disaster or not, they wouldn't
give
it to me.

The Red Cross didn't even bother to tell my father I'd been born.

Jill

My family and friends have applied and are receiving FEMA funds ($2,300 per
month for a family of 5 for living expenses with a $26,000 cap, so after a
year they're on their own whether their homes have been rebuilt or not).
But FEMA is not the same as a charity - FEMA is funded by our tax dollars,
not by donations.

They applied to Red Cross and got a one-time $300 amount. The Red Cross is
also in New Orleans handing out hot meals to people who are cleaning out
their homes. That does *NOT* account for the billions of dollars that have
been donated. No other charity has any methods set up for a victim to apply
or receive aid (or if they had it's such a big secret that nobody I know
knows about it).

Hugs,

CatNipped

jmcquown wrote:
No offense intended, but I don't donate to these organizations because they
care more about funding high priced executive meetings at resorts than they
do about taking care of the people they are supposed to help. The only
thing I donate is is clothing, canned and boxed food goods - things they
can't turn into pure profit. Sorry, no money. I don't have any, anyway.
But you can be damn sure if I needed it, disaster or not, they wouldn't give
it to me.

The Red Cross didn't even bother to tell my father I'd been born.

Jill

That's why I don't donate to United Way--their administrative costs are
extremely high. Locally, I'd rather donate to the Beneavolence
Committee at church, they see to it that your money does go directly to
benefit the poor or those faced with house fires, tornado damage,
whatever, with zero administrative costs. No high-salaried staff, or
"executive meetings" just like you said. I think people just have to
put a lot of *trust* into the organization they donated to Katrina.
There's no guarantee that trust isn't misplaced.
Katrina, though, there were so many thousands of *really* poor
people affected. People who had nothing *before* Katrina. And no family
to fall back on. REbuilding cities from scratch, and La. wasn't the
only state affected. I can see how it would take billions of dollars.

Sherry

Katrina, though, there were so many thousands of *really* poor
people affected. People who had nothing *before* Katrina. And no family
to fall back on. REbuilding cities from scratch, and La. wasn't the
only state affected. I can see how it would take billions of dollars.

I think your families would be well served by calling the
aforementioned person, or writing letters, to see if there can be some
inquiry into where that money went--some accounting for how it was
spent.

I'm sure a good deal went to things other than families, such as 1.
paying for cleanup crews 2. paying for restoration of power and pumping
out the floodwater 3. demolishing unsafe buildings 3. gas for the
buses/helicopters/trucks etc out of town 4. medical supplies 5.
feeding those who stayed behind

I wonder if they figured that since your families had means of basic
survival (whether it be living with you, CN, or using a credit card to
stay in a hotel) they instead used the relief money on people who had
nothing--no family to stay with, no credit card, no money in the bank,
nothing but a patch of street to sleep on if they didn't get help.

An accounting would make it clear if the government were prioritizing
the dirt poor, or just wasting the funds.

--Fil

wrote in message
oups.com...

kilikini wrote:


I can ask the exact same question, Cat. My family got wiped out, too,
and
they've been staying in a hotel in Mississippi, paying for it on credit
card, this whole time. Where is *their* money? Where are clothes for
them?
It makes me so angry to think the government just takes everything and
gives
everything to other countries. TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN, D*MM*T!

kili ------- off her soapbox, but it's really aggravating.

Well, that's terrible to hear. Did they register with FEMA, and apply
with Red Cross, and still didn't receive any aid at all?

Sherry


They've asked for help on all accounts, but they received none, so they've
begun pleading to family members and friends. It gets expensive to stay in
a hotel for months on end. My cousin can't go anywhere else because she's
undergoing chemo for breast cancer. She wants to keep the doctor she
started the treatment with there in Mississippi instead of going back to a
hotel in New Orleans.

kili

"kilikini" wrote in message
.. .

wrote in message
oups.com...

kilikini wrote:


I can ask the exact same question, Cat. My family got wiped out, too,
and
they've been staying in a hotel in Mississippi, paying for it on
credit
card, this whole time. Where is *their* money? Where are clothes for
them?
It makes me so angry to think the government just takes everything and
gives
everything to other countries. TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN, D*MM*T!

kili ------- off her soapbox, but it's really aggravating.

Well, that's terrible to hear. Did they register with FEMA, and apply
with Red Cross, and still didn't receive any aid at all?

Sherry


They've asked for help on all accounts, but they received none, so they've
begun pleading to family members and friends. It gets expensive to stay
in
a hotel for months on end. My cousin can't go anywhere else because she's
undergoing chemo for breast cancer. She wants to keep the doctor she
started the treatment with there in Mississippi instead of going back to a
hotel in New Orleans.

kili


Boy. It's time to start calling senators and being a REAL PITA about it.