Out Of Money?

Donations Hurricane Gustav The American Red Cross is borrowing money to
cover its costs from Hurricane Gustav ..

by Associated Press

Published: Thu, September 04, 2008 - 2:20 pm CST Last Updated: Thu, September 04, 2008 - 2:22 pm CST

WASHINGTON (AP) - The American Red Cross is borrowing money to
cover its costs from Hurricane Gustav and will probably go deeper
into debt as it prepares for three additional storms threatening
the United States.
Red Cross vice president Joseph Becker said the agency could
spend more than $70 million feeding and sheltering victims of
Gustav. It has raised only $5 million so far, and donations are
trickling in slowly as the public seems to think there wasn't much
damage, Becker said at a news conference Thursday on storm
preparations.
Becker pleaded for donations, saying Gustav wasn't as big as it
could have been but still inflicted major damage along the Gulf
Coast.
The agency also borrowed money earlier this year as it spent
some $30 million responding to the massive floods in the Midwest.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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southfan1981 Says:

Fri, Sep 05, 2008 at 1:58 am

Sweet, it sounds like you talked to the folks in Pensacola. I took a friend over there who had lost her car, had not job because of the damage in Pascagoula and her home was flooded. The reception was sickening. We went to Gautier, MS the next day. They were lovely. I wrote to the Red Cross because of the behavior of their “volunteers” in P’cola. I received a form letter. What a crock! I’d rather give to my church and know that they will take their supplies into areas and donate directly.

sweetnsour Says:

Fri, Sep 05, 2008 at 1:02 am

Oh pleeaasse the ARC is not what it use to be. After Katrina I was homeless and went right back to work, the vulchers that lost nothing were able to get vouchers while I was trying to feed my son because I could not afford to burn my time standing in line or speed dialing. When I finally got through via phone they guestioned me to the hilt after two weeks and told me you have gotten by for two weeks you probably don’t have any immediate needs.

rmseek1234 Says:

Thu, Sep 04, 2008 at 7:12 pm

You would think that would be simple math and common sense, but alas, that seems to be in short supply….

southfan1981 Says:

Thu, Sep 04, 2008 at 6:11 pm

OH Dont get me started. I really believe that you and I are responsible for stocking up so that we are assured that in the event of a natural disaster, our families can at least eat. How hard is it to stockpile a can or two every week?

rmseek1234 Says:

Thu, Sep 04, 2008 at 6:00 pm

Gee southfan-we CAN agree on something.

rmseek1234 Says:

Thu, Sep 04, 2008 at 5:59 pm

And from what I understood, most of the shelters were schools and 2 year colleges throughout the various states-not the Hilton. I don’t know, but I wouldn’t think there would be a charge for using “public” facilities, especially when it is done out of good will and as a reciprocal agreement. I saw they ordered pizza one night in P’cola, but hey, Dominoes has $5 pizzas and even they will sometimes discount that price for community service projects.

southfan1981 Says:

Thu, Sep 04, 2008 at 4:20 pm

My brother and his g’f didnt take money from them so that leaves them out of the numbers. Good question. 70 million divided by 2 million and they weren’t buying ice.

rmseek1234 Says:

Thu, Sep 04, 2008 at 4:10 pm

How do you spend $70 million when only 2 million evacuated?

southfan1981 Says:

Thu, Sep 04, 2008 at 3:08 pm

I gave up on the Red Cross. I think they need to go back to feed and assist, not rehabilitate. I won’t be giving them my blood to sell anymore either. They should be ashamed they have put us all at risk because they refused to follow safe practices.