Evacuee Purchases Designer Handbag with Redcross Donation!

[katie blue]

Ah, but i think it's best not to give that power to the govt...they're no smarter than anyone else, and with all the bureacracy, less so sometimes. Usage has to be the choice of the individual. If they're responsibe they won't misuse it. I really hope the vast majority don't, but as i said earlier, it happens. but we cant' not give the money out, that's what it is there for after all, right?

 

[sarahj]

The Red Cross cards could have been the ones they give to volunteers for expenses. My niece was flown from California and given a Red Cross card to rent a car, buy gas and food. She was suppose to stay 2 weeks. However she call us to come get her as we were about 6 hours away. She is flying home tomorrow at her own expense. Said she was moved from shelter to shelter, each one saying we don't need anymore help. There was 4 people in her party, each one came to work and help. She works with underprivliged families and felt she could contribute something good in that field. Said she felt guilty using the card as she was not being of any help. So she opted to leave. Fell sorry for her. She is only 20 and she really thought she could save the world. I told her that her heart was in the right place. She said next time she would go with a church or private group. Said lots and lots of churches were feeding and most times where she was that was all the food being served. Said one place where police and firefighters were in shelters that churches brought all the food. They (police & fireman) had been promised paychecks but they never came. A private citizen brought 500.00 for each one. She saw lots of good deeds such as that.

 

[BeachDreamer]

I gave money to a man in a parking lot once, who had a far-fetched story. The person I was with said I was duped, but I replied that I had done my part, and whether or not they did theirs, had nothing to do with me. But I think that we do need to be careful in how people are helped. You want the money to stretch as far as it can.

 

[pk305]

Stories like this & first person stories that I know to be true do not keep us from continuing to make our contributions. The bad apples will always be there!
So many are giving sacrificially to others right now....taking in families, feeding them, leaving their own families to help, providing in many many ways, even if it means they are inconvenienced or giving up something. These GIVERS provide ongoing inspiration to us!!
I am THANKFUL to have the DESIRE & ability to provide help for Katrina victims.
We are gratified to have found several different ways to help and we know that the needs & our involvement will continue for a LONG time. I appreciate reading on this board how others are pitching in (loved your SHOES story SJ!)
as it gives us new ideas of what more we can do in the days and weeks and months ahead.
Last week we met a business owner in So. Walton who told us it was the first time he has ever donated to the Red Cross or for any appeal like this. We have also stepped forward in a bigger and more varied way than we have ever done before. I hope this is the norm & that all of us can continue to do whatever we can to soften the blows of Katrina. We are ALL giving these people the basics for now but most importantly HOPE!!

 

[Bob]

I'm not worried if someone collects their $2grand (which is suppose to help get them on their feet), and they decide to blow it. Lots of people at all economic and other levels make poor choices. Why wouldn't you expect to hear of some poor choices from displaced citizens, especially given all they've gone through. I'm sure most will make the most of their stipends. It's like the looters and shooters - most of the people are not partaking in this kind of behavior, but its what we hear about and what people seem to focus on. I don't think its right. Let's help people any way we can, even if some take advantage of the situation.. so what...

A relatively good case of moral relativism. So what?

 

[Miss Kitty]

My understanding was that the evacuees would receive $2,000 from FEMA, not Red Cross. They thought the debit card system would expedite the process, but have since decided that depositing money directly into bank accounts would halt most of the fraud that they could see would grow out of control. Of course, I would imagine that many of the people either left their checkbooks behind or didn't have an account to begin with. I'm sure there is a better explanation out there, but I do not think the Red Cross has ever handed out monies to victims, maybe to volunteers though.

In college, I took a course which discussed the very issue surrounding this handbag purchase. We all see it everyday...with clothing, cellphones, jewelry and cars. It's called a value stretch....individuals spend what money they have on those things that will enable them to "look" like they live the good life. They don't put much value on things such as housing, education, insurance and the like. When they are out in the nice car, wearing cool clothes and talking on their cellphones, no one "knows" the real life they have.

 

[Bob]

My understanding was that the evacuees would receive $2,000 from FEMA, not Red Cross. They thought the debit card system would expedite the process, but have since decided that depositing money directly into bank accounts would halt most of the fraud that they could see would grow out of control. Of course, I would imagine that many of the people either left their checkbooks behind or didn't have an account to begin with. I'm sure there is a better explanation out there, but I do not think the Red Cross has ever handed out monies to victims, maybe to volunteers though.

In college, I took a course which discussed the very issue surrounding this handbag purchase. We all see it everyday...with clothing, cellphones, jewelry and cars. It's called a value stretch....individuals spend what money they have on those things that will enable them to "look" like they live the good life. They don't put much value on things such as housing, education, insurance and the like. When they are out in the nice car, wearing cool clothes and talking on their cellphones, no one "knows" the real life they have.

This type of behavior cuts across all socio-economic groups. 30A to the ghetto. If your average citizen started living like the WWII generation, our economy would collapse.

 

[seagrovelover]

I'm not worried if someone collects their FEMA $$ (which is suppose to help get them on their feet), and they decide to blow it. Lots of people at all economic and other levels make poor choices. Why wouldn't you expect to hear of some poor choices from displaced citizens, especially given all they've gone through. I'm sure most will make the most of their allotted funds.

I agree with you tootsie, most will make wise choices......we will only hear about all the bad ones, as usual :roll:

 

[TooFarTampa]

This type of behavior cuts across all socio-economic groups. 30A to the ghetto. If your average citizen started living like the WWII generation, our economy would collapse.

Interesting, scary, and right on target Bob. :shock:

 

[OhioBeachBum]

This type of behavior cuts across all socio-economic groups. 30A to the ghetto. If your average citizen started living like the WWII generation, our economy would collapse.

Good point - whole house of cards is based on consumption of goods, and more important, the per capita growth of said consumption - from KMart to SAX, Bob's used cars to Leroy's Lexus, etc.