posted on October 31, 2001 02:07:07 PM new
I had the same thing from my Dad who was in the Army in WWII. He said the Red Cross charged his pay for help he needed and left him unable to send rent and living money to my Mom.
I can't document this either but my Dad was the sort of fellow you believed.
All that blood the Red Cross collects free they charge just as much as the commercial companies that pay for their blood.
The outgoing president of this "nonprofit" was paid $450,000 a year. How hard is it to say nonprofit with a straight face?
I am sorry my wife contributed to them.
I am sure we will never have an accounting that means anything.
posted on October 31, 2001 05:20:04 PM newbarbkeith
I was one of those RC volunteers like your dad came in contact with as a result of his tragic experience. I worked for our local chapter for 4 years, mainly as a caseworker as well as helping with communications (co-ordinating with some of my friends who were HAM operators)
My experiences during that time are mostly why I'm shocked to hear these stories....we never collected a nickel from anyone, just handed out vouchers and listened...that's it.
gravid
If the government was docking military servicemen's pay to pay the RC, there would have to be a record of that somewhere. It seems to me that's the only way the RC could get their hands on your Dad's military pay IIUC.
All my dad had in Italy and Germany was a few dollars of local currency, certainly enough to buy things from the RC, but not much. Most of his pay was sent to his family back in the states (his wife left him while he was in the service; he met and married my mom after he got home).
Given what I've learned of charitable organizations over the years, I'm going to keep an open mind here; this sounds like one interesting kettle of fish. I'll be over on OTWA after tonight but will still read what comes in e-mail.....
posted on October 31, 2001 08:04:07 PM new
A quote from the link provided by dixiebee ;
Give to respected intermediaries that have set up charitable funds. The September 11th Fund was recently formed to help victims of this crisis. The Fund will be administered by United Way and The New York Community Trust. Many banks and media outlets have also set up funds.
Restrict or designate your contributions for this specific crisis. If you do not, there is a risk that the charity will use your donation for a different purpose. Keep in mind that some charities use highly publicized crisis' to raise funds for their overall budget. Donors should consider giving unrestricted funds to charities so that they have funding to cover less popular but necessary programs and overhead. The Red Cross violated this trust
I have a WWII story in the other thread.
Also, my sister lives near Charleston South Carolina and was in the Hugo disaster. Clothing, food, and water were brought in by the truckloads provided by churches, community groups from across the country, and the Salvation Army, selection was a problem but it was all for free. Everything else could be aquired for a price, from the Red Cross.
In 1993 I was in the hospital for emergency surgery only to find out the next day that my ex-husband was in the same hospital with a heart attack and was not expected to live according to his Drs. Our son was in the Navy between assignments and we were unable to locate him. My ex'es brother contacted the Red Cross locator service and they found him, gave him a plane ticket and arranged for a 5 day emergency leave so he could be with us. The month following his Navy pay was short the cost of the plane ticket plus $145.00 for locating him and arranging for his leave.
So, it is not just something that happened a long time ago. They are a business, a big business, and that will probably never change. I feel for the well meaning volunteers who work under a CEO who makes $450,000 a year off their hard working backs. There has to be a happy medium when one holds "nonprofit" status. Just MHO.
edit cause it's late :-0
[ edited by muttsburg on Oct 31, 2001 08:13 PM ]
posted on October 31, 2001 10:31:56 PM new
Uh-the government arranged and paid for the tickets for the military victims' families. All the RC would have done was notify the families(which they're supposed to do anyway).
The one time I needed RC assistance-military spouse with two small children stranded in another country and out of money(long story)-I had to sign an agreement that we would pay back the money they "gave" me. Oh, and they gave me the princely sum of $50.00, with which I was to buy food and arrange for lodging until we could get a flight out.
posted on November 1, 2001 08:39:46 AM new
Valleygirl, sorry but I have a strict policy of not believing stuff I read on an internet newsgroup. I don't know why anyone would lie, but I realize that people often do things that I do not understand. People are MORE likely to lie on the internet, than to your face. For all I know, all of these posts could be the same person, even a terrorst, trying to sully the name of the Red Cross. In fact, it would make more sense to me if the person was a terrorist trying to hurt Americans. I don't know why any real American would want to do such a thing. But then, look at all the Anthrax hoaxes, I don't understand why anyone would do that either.
