Donations and such
I just sent out an email to my office and offered to add $5 to my donation if they made a donation to any relief charity working with Hurricane Katrina.
So far I'm adding $60 to my donation.
It did however spark and interesting email dialogue with the whole office of folks saying, "Oh I'm giving clothes/paper towels/canned food, etc." Let me reiterate for any folks thinking of going out and buying supplies and/or donating goods at a drop off location:
It will never get there.
The roads are gone, the bridges are gone, the freaking military and guard can't get to some communities (although I am hoping they can get there today). Buying $10 in diapers and dropping it off to a church who is going to "load up a semi and get it to the people who need it" is foolish. Noble, but foolish. That semi is going to sit in Baton Rouge and it will never get to the areas most devistated.
Take that $10 and give it to the Red Cross or any organization that is reputable that you belive in. Salvation Army, Catholic Relief - whatever - $10 cash can become instant diapers, instant food, instant can openers - to the charity organizations that have the infastructure to get supplies to area by boat and by air.
Think for a second and give cash. If you can offer to match donations at your office. Inspire others to give - cash. That's what those people need - what they don't need is a trailer full of crap stuck rotting on I-10.
So far I'm adding $60 to my donation.
It did however spark and interesting email dialogue with the whole office of folks saying, "Oh I'm giving clothes/paper towels/canned food, etc." Let me reiterate for any folks thinking of going out and buying supplies and/or donating goods at a drop off location:
It will never get there.
The roads are gone, the bridges are gone, the freaking military and guard can't get to some communities (although I am hoping they can get there today). Buying $10 in diapers and dropping it off to a church who is going to "load up a semi and get it to the people who need it" is foolish. Noble, but foolish. That semi is going to sit in Baton Rouge and it will never get to the areas most devistated.
Take that $10 and give it to the Red Cross or any organization that is reputable that you belive in. Salvation Army, Catholic Relief - whatever - $10 cash can become instant diapers, instant food, instant can openers - to the charity organizations that have the infastructure to get supplies to area by boat and by air.
Think for a second and give cash. If you can offer to match donations at your office. Inspire others to give - cash. That's what those people need - what they don't need is a trailer full of crap stuck rotting on I-10.