Off Topic: Turned Downed by Red Cross

[ebonybee]

I contacted the Red Cross in Montgomery, Alabama and spoke to someone who certainly took me seriously. Montgomery is located approximately 180 miles from Mobile, Alabama and is often used for "Gulf" evacuees. I offered a rental house in Montgomery at no cost for an evacuee family and gave them the address of the property. I wanted them to know that this wasn't some shabby hut but was in a good part of town with decent schools and has 3 bedrooms/2 baths. The funny thing is that it is empty because I've only recently been able to get repairs completed from Hurricane Ivan last year. She told me she would look into how to handle this.

 

Thirty minutes later she returned my phone call to say that they don't handle this and suggested I call the television station affiliates in the area and provided the number. She stated that there were shelters still operating and that they were collecting money for vouchers for these families

 

I asked what they were going to do about the short term needs (up to 6 months) for the families and especially the children who really need to get enrolled into a school. She had no answer for this!

 

I'm not angry but I am surprised by this response. She was very courteous and polite. I just don't think they are gauging the level of effort and for how long that need will be required. Maybe in a few days they will rethink the response and give me a call.

[butnzb]

You should be commended for being willing to help out like that, I have been trying to think of things that I could do. I know there are families out there that would be very greatful to accept your offer. The Red Cross should look into things like that or even people being willing to take them into their homes. There are plenty of people that have spare rooms. I would do that.

 

God Bless!!!!!

[cruise182]

What a great heart you have!!

[jasmine196]

Try craigslist.org Look under homes New Orlens. There are thousands offering up their homes all over the country. Good for you for offering yours up. I am thinking about offering to do the same, though I could only take up to 2 people with one extra furnished bedroom. But I'm also up in Illinois. So we'll see.

[azcater]

I heard on GMA this morning that if you have a home available, to call FEMA, they are responsible for coordinating that type of help.

 

Also, they mentioned that refugees should stay somewhat close to the disaster area to receive the disaster benefits, etc. If they travel too far, they may not be eligible. (Don't understand this, but...)

[KKeeganS]

This is a disaster of such great magnitude that I'm not sure the relief organizations have quite figured out what is needed and how to supply it (beyond the basics of getting people to safety). It is fantastic you are willing to open your house and I am sure someone will gratefully take you up on the offer.

[JodiBB]

I just learned about this service that will list your house for relief purposes on another board: http://katrinahousing.org/

 

Check it out...I can't vouch for the underpinnings for the site, but it seemed reputable...good luck!

[brn2crz]

There is an article posted by member GoinCrusin on the Carnival board,I will try to post the link.But the RC does not accept itmes given "in kind" To try to sum up...They can not manage the pouring in of so many misc items.They focus on mass production that major suppliers can give and bring to designated locations.They can not collect and distribute from mass locations,and the only want things that can be equally distributed.I know its tough,and believe me somehow you will be able to help out.But the RC needs cash to purchase bulk items.

Same kinda thing here.A guy showe up at the Astrodome with cooked hotgogs and buns and stuff (lots of it) to give to some of the people showing up,the RC turned him away...I heard later he was able to set up near by at a shelter or something....

Hard to work it all out.

[firstcruise05]

Be careful though about just blindly posting your home online. You don't want people to know that there is an unoccupied home in the area that is available for destruction or whatever else.

 

 

Good for you for offering this much needed item to those who were affected and desperately in need for some semblance of normalcy. I hope you are able to successfully help a family or two. Maybe try FEMA as the other poster suggested.

[mjm1309]

My husband and I both volunteered to host a family through our companies. He is a manager at ChucK E. Cheese and I work for Wyndham. As both are national companies they actually have established a team to coordinate relief efforts to their employees. Wyndham has offered to continue to pay employees for a minimum of 60 days even though the hotels are not open. In addition, for people willing to relocate they are scrambling to try and find jobs for the employees in both companies. Let's be realistic, New Orleans won't be better next week. People have to start thinking long term. They can't live in a football stadium for six months.

 

 

 

We have two children and felt more comfortable going through our companies. Both do an extensive background check on employees before they are hired including criminal, credit, etc. That made us feel a little more comfortable about offering to take a complete stranger into our home.

 

 

 

We have also been able to stir up interest with the other people we work with. If they find someone willing to relocate to our area, we have enough support to pay for their plane tickets to get them here and to take care of things like furniture, clothes, extra food, etc. Kind of like adopting a family (or families).

[alexkrn46]

I work for a hospital in Boston, and they are asking for volunteers. They will pay one week and you can take another week from your vacation time. My husband's company is based in Texas and they are Volunteering at the sportsdome. There are some wonderful people in the US.

[kenandlaura06]

Your generosity is amazing and a model for the rest of us.

[LenaDaLlama]

You are very generous indeed....very thoughtful....

 

be careful and take care!!

[fflady]

I would like to commend each one of you for your generous offers. But I offer caution when opening up your home/family to those individuals who are traveling from the disaster zone. With many diseases a possibility, please make sure you are going through the proper channels to host those individuals who have been properly cleared medically. I would hate to see any diseases being transferred to your loving families because of your generosity. I don't want to make this sound like a downer for those who are trying to be so generous. I want to make sure you completely think it through before opening your homes and properties to unknown individuals who are so desperate for some normalcy.

[mjm1309]

There are so many people who evacuated prior to Katrina's arrival. People who have not been exposed to any diseases. They are in hotels with money running out. They are sleeping in their cars in parking lot's with no where to take their children.

 

For those who have been exposed, that's what the hospitals are for. If we can get them here, our hospitals are not overwhelmed and can handle them.

 

If it were you, if it were your child, if it were your sister, would you not hope for someone to reach out and help?

 

Fear and excuses should not stop us from helping those who have no hope but us.

[IKE]

May God bless You for being so generous and loving.

[morriscats]

Hope this link works.

 

 

 

http://www.hurricanehousing.org/?id=5947-2579406-hVjK9uVw91PbRUrfs7F4WQ

[AFT_LOVER]

All the people who traveled down to N O & the gulf area in the Red Cross vans to feed, clean up, give medical care or just be a shoulder to cry on were turned away!!!!

[mjm1309]

MorrisCats: Thank you! I have ben driving myself crazy trying to do something. I wish I had buses to go down there or trucks to bring food. But all I have is a little cash and some room in my house. I have been hunting around on-line to try and get information on how to get in touch with anyone to coordinate a housing opportunity. There are many in our town who would step forward and I am sure many in our state. I had already e-mailed my governor and the mayor of Houston asking for direction. This is great information!

 

I ask everyone to think if they could offer something. There are probably close to a half million people who are left homeless. And those who still have homes may not be able to live there for months due to electricity and flooding issues. An extra bedroom in a home is better than a cot in a football dome.

[HotlantaCruiser]

they have immediate needs that they have to address right now. Tracking the numerous "one off" houses in the various cities across the South is a logistical nightmare. You're heart is in the right place, and I would suggest other alternatives (Craig's List is one, your local place of worship also). I have seen numerous requests on CL from individuals across the south, some as simple as "does anyone have some clothes". More than likely there are numerous families who evacuated to Montgomery (knowing that Mobile was not a safe alternative), and could use your help.

 

Right now the Red Cross, Salvation Army, etc are too busy trying to get needed water/food/medicines in there. It will take another week or two before they start to work on things like individual housing.

 

Best that you can do is look for a family that's already in Montgomery (hotel, etc) that can use your generosity. Again, start with Craig's List, your house of worship, a local television station (who probably already has done a piece on local evacuees), etc

[Lightsluvr]

for your caring and genorosity.

 

LL

[jaxon41]

Another God Bless the OP for the generous spirit -- just got back from my Alaskan cruise so haven't been on the boards (felt guilty going on that trip after Katrina but I did send a couple of checks before I left) Moveon.org is also gathering information on those who want to share a home if you have not connected yet to a family.

[hermang]

My wife works for an OB-GYN practice - the office is collecting, in addition to

the usual donations of cash, Things like baby wipes, diapers, bottled water.

 

One of the things they are also looking for are Flashlights and Batteries

 

Another thing - for those of us who travel on business - I always manage to "abscond with" the travel toiletries" I save them up and our synagogue collects them several times a year for Operation Hope, a women's shelter.

 

One of the things the collection at my wife's office is asking for is personal toiletries. If you, like I save soaps, shampoo, conditioner from your travels, perhaps know a dentist - you might want to consider collecting these things and sending these to the Red Cross or other relief agency

[slotaddict]

You can go into Sun Herald.com, which is a Mississippi Newspaper with discussion boards. There a hundreds of homeless and displaced people on those boards. You could make contact with one of them. Most of the people of South Mississippi have no where to go. God Bless you for your generosity.

[futaba951]

I'm sure FEMA would be glad to hear from you. We provide property maintenance to HUD on their foreclosure homes and FEMA has commandeered all available HUD foreclosures. We are in the middle of getting these houses ready for those displaced from theirs. New paint, carpet and appliances. Cleaning up the yards. (Most have fallen trees and are knee deep in leaves.) My wife and SIL rode over to Ocean Springs MS yesterday to check on a few properties near the water and there are few if any structures left standing even 3 blocks from the water. If they are standing they are just shells with all the contents blown out the sides. Most of the trees had clothes and furniture lodged 20 feet up in the branches. People living in tents on their lawns or slabs left after their house was washed away. Some of the properties closest to the water hardly had any debris left as it too was washed farther inland. Really a bad scene.