On Date: Wed, Feb 8, 2006, 7:28pm (EST+5) From:

seen till the third >Hurricane.   After Charley hit there was no red

The worst part was >the city where I live also did nothing. We are in >a
bad hit area nothing

I will have to disagree with this. The Red Cross was here very shortly
after Hurricane Charley. They handed out meals first only at centralized
locations and as more red cross personal arrived trucks were dispursed
in damaged neighborhoods to hand out a hot meal once a day(our red cross
truck came about 2pm everyday honking their horn to announce they were
in the neighborhood but you had to listen for them and head out to the
road so they could see you). They left the area before each subsequent
huricane to find safety since there was no safe spot left here. They
came back after each hurricane until Jeanne, we no longer saw them after
Jeanne.

We tried to get financial help from the Red Cross but were turned down
because(and this is rediculous) we had no viable housing(house was
ruined) or income(I had been trying to get a home based freelance
graphic design business started when charley struck and could no longer
work from home cause home was ruined). They told me to find a regular
job and then come back, I asked about help with purchasing some career
clothes(to get regular job) because mine were ruined and only had
stained tshirts I had been cleaning out the house in, jeans, and
borrowed socks...tho I did have 2 pairs dress shoes survive. They said
they couldn't and handed me a list of temporary jobs and sent me on my
way. My nephew was able to get some money from them even tho he had no
job(where he worked was ruined) and was living in a shed behind his
parents house after the house he was living in(renting with a bunch of
roommates) was partially damaged. So I found red cross good at emergency
food supply and inconsistent in helping financially.  The food
distribution I understand is taken up by local red crosses across the
country and volunteers, the financial stuff is handle nationally...that
would appear why one works and the other doesn't. I would suggest to
donate to your local red cross not the the national red cross...yes the
money goes to different places depending on where you donate.  

How the red cross works in Mississppi and New Orlens could be different
cause I sure know the national guard worked different here(the national
guard was here right after the storm and not as a threat). They handed
out ice and water, searched thru collapsed houses and trailers looking
for survivors and patrolled neighborhoods on foot and on atvs smiling at
the kids who admiringly chased after them and nodding at residents who
called out to them in support and thanks.

There were lots of other wonderful charities handing out out food,
water, personal items and ice but they didn't get here until about 5
days after the storm. Having a stash of enough nonparishable easy to fix
food to get you by for 4 to 5 days is very important. You can't count on
the red cross or anybody else to be there for you in the few days right
after a storm or emergency. p

I used to give to the United Way at work.  What I liked about it was I could
decide where my $$ were going, say to the local literacy council.  But then
I heard about the huge salaries the execs were making.  After that, you
couldn't pay me enough to donate to them.  It's just nuts.

Jill