# Harvey relief; who/what are reputable organizations? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 31, 2017, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvey-relief-who-what-are-reputable-organizations/795141 "2017-08-31T01:29:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvey-relief-who-what-are-reputable-organizations/795141/21 "2017-09-02T19:12:59Z")
Remote Area Medical is working in the zone, and I made a donation to Habitat for Humanity for long-term relief. I’ve also heard that the various Mennonite aid organizations are very reputable, and do not proselytize although they will give spiritual aid to those who want it. [http://www.umcor.org/](http://www.umcor.org/) , run by the Methodist Church, is the same way. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2017, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvey-relief-who-what-are-reputable-organizations/795141/22 "2017-09-03T13:55:48Z")
Probably going with globalgiving this time. But maybe the United Way. Both are good at finding those little groups that do good but that I’d never find (or vet) on my own. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2017, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvey-relief-who-what-are-reputable-organizations/795141/23 "2017-09-03T23:15:47Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Remote Area Medical is working in the zone, and I made a donation to Habitat for Humanity for long-term relief. > > I’ve also heard that the various Mennonite aid organizations are very reputable, and do not proselytize although they will give spiritual aid to those who want it. [http://www.umcor.org/](http://www.umcor.org/) , run by the Methodist Church, is the same way. UMCOR is distributing flood relief buckets, filled with cleaning supplies for mucking out a flooded home. I made one and turned it over today. And no, you don’t have to listen to a sermon to get one! ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvey-relief-who-what-are-reputable-organizations/795141/24 "2017-09-04T04:48:39Z")
> [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](#): > > I’l go with that and raise you one. [Texas Diaper Bank](http://www.texasdiaperbank.org). Seriously, who thinks of that? I just finished a shift helping out in Dallas. From what I saw, baby items were the most wanted. Strollers, the bouncy chairs, and diapers/wipes. The diaper bank is a good thing (and it’s not just babies. They supply adult diapers, too). A few other not-typically-thought-of things I saw that were needed: hearing aid batteries, pillows, and reusable shopping bags. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvey-relief-who-what-are-reputable-organizations/795141/25 "2017-09-04T04:58:52Z")
[Here](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/best-intentions-when-disaster-relief-brings-anything-but-relief/) is a news story from CBS Sunday Morning about the crap that people contribute to disasters, and how much of a mess this becomes. They mentioned, for instance, that after a disaster in Africa, people sent 100,000 liters of water in the form of the cases of 24 500ml bottles that are commonly available in the US. Someone pointed out that the professional disaster relief groups could use portable water purification systems to produce the same 100,000 liters for $300 versus $300,000 to ship the bottled water to Africa. Or how some women in America wanted to send breast milk to Haiti after the earthquake there. ---
**Author:** ![Anita\_Dayoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Anita\_Dayoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anita_Dayoff)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvey-relief-who-what-are-reputable-organizations/795141/26 "2017-09-05T01:51:48Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I was ready to donate money to the American Red Cross until checking out [these](https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-08-30/skip-the-red-cross-when-helping-harvey-s-victims) [articles](http://www.slate.com/articles/business/metropolis/2017/08/don_t_give_money_to_the_red_cross_we_need_a_new_way.html) about the ARC’s poor disaster responses and lack of transparency concerning its spending. After the attacks of September 11, 2001 the American Red Cross held blood drives across the country for weeks. There was no need for blood for all the people killed. There were few seriously injured. The blood was dumped. > **[Red Cross Collected Unneeded Blood](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2001/11/11/red-cross-collected-unneeded-blood/639b5ba9-bcb0-40f3-87fb-b0f2c166c614/?utm_term=.b85df8166c2c)** Their history seems to be a litany of incompetence and financial mismanagement. My dad was in World War II and said the Red Cross would show up and sell donuts to the soldiers. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvey-relief-who-what-are-reputable-organizations/795141/27 "2017-09-05T02:30:54Z")
[Here](http://www.snopes.com/medical/emergent/redcross.asp) is what Snopes has to say about the Red Cross selling donuts to WWII soldiers. > [@](#): > > There is truth to one of the rumors, however. During WWII the American Red Cross did indeed charge American servicemen for coffee, doughnuts, and lodging. However, they did so because the U.S. Army asked them to, not because they were determined to make a profit off homesick dogfaces. > > The request was made in a March 1942 letter from Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson to Norman H. Davis, chairman of the American Red Cross. Because American soldiers were fighting as part of the Allied Forces, matters had to be considered on a Force-wide rather than a solely American basis. The Red Cross was asked to establish club facilities for U.S. servicemen overseas where Allied troops would be welcome, and because English and Australian soldiers were being charged for the use of such facilities, it was deemed unfair that Americans were to get similar benefits for free (especially in light of the fact that their pay was higher than that of their Allied counterparts). For the good of the alliance, the American Red Cross was persuaded to exact nominal charges from American GIs for off-base food and lodging. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvey-relief-who-what-are-reputable-organizations/795141/28 "2017-09-05T02:46:47Z")
> [@Anita\_Dayoff](#): > > After the attacks of September 11, 2001 the American Red Cross held blood drives across the country for weeks. > There was no need for blood for all the people killed. > There were few seriously injured. > The blood was dumped. > > [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2001/11/11/red-cross-collected-unneeded-blood/639b5ba9-bcb0-40f3-87fb-b0f2c166c614/?utm\_term=.b85df8166c2c](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2001/11/11/red-cross-collected-unneeded-blood/639b5ba9-bcb0-40f3-87fb-b0f2c166c614/?utm_term=.b85df8166c2c) > > Their history seems to be a litany of incompetence and financial mismanagement. > > My dad was in World War II and said the Red Cross would show up and sell donuts to the soldiers. after 9/11 I considered giving blood, and didn’t because the local Red Cross said they had enough, and urged people to wait and donate in a few months. Yes, they took donations in the first few days, but it’s not as if they were pounding the streets looking for donors. Rather, the rest of us were desperately looking for something we could do to help. As for the donuts…that was a long time ago. It’s a different organization run by different people doing different things today. And “they charged my dad for a donut” seems like a pretty minor complaint, even at that. It might not be the most effective organization at disaster relief. But it’s not some evil thing. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvey-relief-who-what-are-reputable-organizations/795141/29 "2017-09-05T11:22:21Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > after 9/11 I considered giving blood, and didn’t because the local Red Cross said they had enough, and urged people to wait and donate in a few months. Yes, they took donations in the first few days, but it’s not as if they were pounding the streets looking for donors. Rather, the rest of us were desperately looking for something we could do to help. > > As for the donuts…that was a long time ago. It’s a different organization run by different people doing different things today. And “they charged my dad for a donut” seems like a pretty minor complaint, even at that. It might not be the most effective organization at disaster relief. But it’s not some evil thing. No, they were doing the stuff to soldiers back in the 70’s. Charging them for all kinds of things. As for blood, they take your blood for free, then turn around and sell it for I think $100 a pint. Now I’m not saying the Red Cross isn’t good at the local level but at the national level I wouldn’t trust them. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvey-relief-who-what-are-reputable-organizations/795141/30 "2017-09-05T11:37:29Z")
You know that it costs a lot of money to extract, test, preserves, and ship that blood to be used by someone else, right? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvey-relief-who-what-are-reputable-organizations/795141/31 "2017-09-05T12:53:20Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > > [@puzzlegal](#): > > > > after 9/11 I considered giving blood, and didn’t because the local Red Cross said they had enough, and urged people to wait and donate in a few months. Yes, they took donations in the first few days, but it’s not as if they were pounding the streets looking for donors. Rather, the rest of us were desperately looking for something we could do to help. > > > > As for the donuts…that was a long time ago. It’s a different organization run by different people doing different things today. And “they charged my dad for a donut” seems like a pretty minor complaint, even at that. It might not be the most effective organization at disaster relief. But it’s not some evil thing. > > No, they were doing the stuff to soldiers back in the 70’s. Charging them for all kinds of things. > > As for blood, they take your blood for free, then turn around and sell it for I think $100 a pint. > > Now I’m not saying the Red Cross isn’t good at the local level but at the national level I wouldn’t trust them. I would like to see a cite for what “stuff” the Red Cross was doing back in the 70s. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvey-relief-who-what-are-reputable-organizations/795141/32 "2017-09-05T19:37:43Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > You know that it costs a lot of money to extract, test, preserves, and ship that blood to be used by someone else, right? Yes, but it is also a money maker. Why else do they sometimes pay people to donate? Red Cross takes my free blood “donation” and sells it. I used to give at the Community Blood Bank until I realized everybody in that room was being paid except me. You can bet the Red Cross down in Harvey is billing somebody for any aid rendered like say the local government. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvey-relief-who-what-are-reputable-organizations/795141.md?page=1)