Tsunami Donations - Some People Care

[RedFanAlways1966]

I am amazed at the outpouring of relief and donations by poeple throughout the world to the victims of the earthquake/tsunami. Japan has given $500 million. The United States has given $350 million. And many other countries have given what they can afford. Despite all the "bad news" that the media loves to share with us each day, it is a great thing to see residents of our great planet help others who live 1/2 way across the world.

Which leads me to ask... I wonder how much money/food/clothing the insurgent cause in Iraq has donated to tsunami victims? I wonder how much has been donated by those still loyal to the Taliban in Afghanistan? I wonder how much al Qaeda has donated to the people in SE Asia? I wonder how much Hamas and their killers have given to the suffering people in Asia?

Then again... they have already shown that people who do not abide by their laws or their religious standards are not worthy to live. They blow people up with homemade bombs... the blownup people are mostly civilians and not soliders. Human life and caring... not something these beasts in the Middle East understand. They do, however, understand people dying before their time and by tragic means. They do it to people all the time.

Disasters, terrible as they are, tend to show caring and compassion in people of this world. People helping people who they have never met and will never meet in their lives. Thanks to all countries and people who have shown their compassion for the people suffering in SE Asia. And please do not forget the bolded paragraph above.

[LvJ]

this (http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/my-pay-page/PX3BEL97U9A4I/104-7021130-1645538) is awesome.

Total Collected: $12,867,729.42

[zombie-a-go-go]

And please do not forget the bolded paragraph above.

Or use it as a jumping-off point to start another flame war like the one we had last time this subject was broached on these boards.

And now that that's been said...

It is amazing how so many different people have come together on this thing. Makes one think about the inherent goodness of Man as a whole.

[WVRed]

Something I heard earlier today made a lot of sense.

Put the world into a neighborhood setting. The United States would easily have the biggest and best house that everybody else on the street envied. A crack house(not comparing Asia to a crack house, but it is a lower tier house compared to the mansion the US has) down the street burns down. All of the other houses help and contribute, but of course the bigger house contributes. OTOH, the other houses complains and grumbles because the bigger house doesnt pay as much as they should. "HEY US!, YOU HAVE MONEY, SHARE THE WEALTH".

I can understand some of these houses donating what little they can, because they are poorer nations, but there are some houses who arent as big as the big house, yet they have money and do not want to give. However, they expect the big house up the street to give up all their wealth to help the little crack house.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the tsunami victims, but I feel that we as a house have done our part to help the neighbors in need.

[savafan]

Not that helping those in need from the tsunami disaster isn't a good thing, but...

We have millions of people here in the United States who have no homes, no healthcare, no jobs, not enough food or income. There are people living on the streets in every major metropolitan city around this country and we do nothing to help them. There are people in need right in our own neighborhoods, our own citizens, and we send our money across the world without ever taking a look outside at those who need help.

[REDREAD]

There are people in need right in our own neighborhoods, our own citizens, and we send our money across the world without ever taking a look outside at those who need help.

I'm glad you said that. I'm thinking the same thing. When the country eventually goes bankrupt from this wild spending spree (the deficit will eventually catch up with us), no one is going to help us.

This isn't just the tsumami thing.. It's all the foreign aid, like paying for the defense of Germany, Japan, Isreal, etc.

[RedFanAlways1966]

Good points sava & REDREAD. I, like many others here, donate domestically everytime I get paid. My company has an annual United Way fundraising event. During this annual event our company raises money thru silent-auctions & activities, etc. Then each of decides if we want to give by having a deduction from each check. It is a private thing, but I would assume that most give from their paycheck like myself.

Another point that I heard on the radio... when you donate money to the tsunami victims, be sure to tell that organization that you want it to go to the tsunami relief effort. Otherwise your money might go elsewhere.

[TRF]

Not that helping those in need from the tsunami disaster isn't a good thing, but...

We have millions of people here in the United States who have no homes, no healthcare, no jobs, not enough food or income. There are people living on the streets in every major metropolitan city around this country and we do nothing to help them. There are people in need right in our own neighborhoods, our own citizens, and we send our money across the world without ever taking a look outside at those who need help.

I have just a little different take on that. See, i was homeless. for quite some time too. i lived in a park, outside a school (it was summertime so no, i'm not a perv hanging around schoolkids) I slept in a brokedown toyota truck. a really small truck. in the winter.

Some people genuinely become homeless due to unforseen trgedies. Some like me because i was to damn stupid to realize the world wasn't going to baby me. Others have mental health issues. I have no sympathy for the ones there due to alcohol.


no healthcare, no jobs, not enough food or income.

Until recently, I went 11 years without insurance. Until about 5 years ago, my salary topped out at $32,000 a year. I have a wife that at the time was not working and 3 kids. They have never gone without medical care. It seems the emergency room will take you regardless of insurance.

When I lived in Cincinnati, it was in Lower Price Hill, around 8th and State. yeah, not exactly the best neighborhood. In this country a person can pull him/herself out of anything. If one job won't do, take two. Currently I am a fulltime webmaster, a part time master control operator for a CBS affilliate, and I run my own web design company. I also help my wife with her web based business. On top of that, I make sure to spend at least an hour with each of my kids per day after 5:00. That's with them doing what they want.

I have the luxury of this because I live in the United States.

I don't recall all the aid sent here after Hurricane Andrew. The reason for that is we didn't need it. India, Sri Lanka, Thailand. not a superpower one, and a poverty level that would truly astonish everyone on this board.

People whose lives have been destroyed by an act of nature, when their lives were not even close to a level we could understand are worthy of our help and time.

Homeless because work is hard, or you gambled away the mortgage? i could care less.

[Crumbley]

If I had money, I would give. I ate off brand Ramen for dinner tonight.

[savafan]

Having said what I said, I'd just like to add that our government gives far too much money to people who should be working but aren't. It's a screwed up world.

[Cedric]

TRF- I feel for you brother. You are everything great about America the idea. Good luck in life.

[TeamBoone]

In addition to the U.S. Government giving $350 million, citizens of the U.S. have probably collectively donated that much if not more. Lindner, for instance... and I read that Sandra Bullock donated $1 million. If she can afford to donate that much, think what stars like Winfrey, Clooney, Roberts, Pitt, Cruise, Hoffman, et al can pony up! Not to mention all the money that's been raised from local telethons and everyday citizens.

Truly amazing!

[Ravenlord]

i gave money. but something's bothering me about this......

leader's are screaming to give money. not food, or blankets, or clothes, etc. but money. but money only. money that's mostly be distributed by the same group of people who screwed up the Oil-for-Food program...and one of the countries involved is rumored to have state funded terrorism. just something that occured to me as i heard a news cast this morning.

[MWM]

.
Why are cash donations the preferred method of international disaster aid?

Cash is the fastest and best way to provide effective relief to international disaster victims for three reasons:

• Financial contributions are easily convertible to meet specific and immediate needs.

• Cash donations are more efficient, allowing purchases to be made at a bulk discount, at a lower transportation cost and with American dollars which generally go farther overseas.

• Cash donations go directly to the disaster site, allowing for exact purchases of what is needed most urgently and stimulating local economies. Donations, such as used clothing, canned food and bottled water take time and money to transport, rarely meet victims' urgent needs and often interfere with professional relief efforts.

Will my cash donation benefit the victims or the overhead of the relief agency?

There are some relief agencies that operate with very low overhead rates, mainly because their activities focus on the collection of materials and arranging the necessary transportation for these items to disaster sites. These agencies do not require large numbers of employees to provide support on the ground. On the other hand, there are other relief agencies with higher overhead rates that send personnel to the disaster site to administer the transportation, distribution of commodities and manage relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction programs. Clearly these programs require more personnel and resources than others—and will have higher overhead rates.

Can I receive a report on how my cash donation to a relief agency was spent?

You can request this information from the agency to which you make your donation.

Can I receive a tax deduction for my cash donation?

Make sure to check with the agency to which you make your donation. For more information that details tax-exempt, tax-deductible and other related issues related to donations and charitable organizations, please visit the www.give.org site.

How would I go about donating commodities to disaster victims?

Supplies, particularly food and clothing, can almost always be purchased locally – even in famine situations. Local procurement provides the triple advantage of stimulating local economies (providing employment, generating cash flow), ensuring that supplies arrive as quickly as possible and reducing transport and storage costs.

Do not make assumptions about the needs of disaster victims. Exactly what is needed can be confirmed by checking with an established relief organization that has personnel working on-site. Do not send what is not needed; unneeded commodities compete with priority relief items for transportation and storage. Organizations that receive in-kind relief donations can help this process by clearly communicating what items are required (in what size, type, etc.) as well as clearly stating what items or services are NOT needed.

If I have already collected a commodity donation, what are next steps?

Immediately after a disaster, many local organizations will spontaneously begin collecting miscellaneous items for use in disaster relief. However, at the time that these collections are begun, agency officials will not have thought about to whom, or how, the items will be sent. It is not unusual for community and civic groups to have collected several thousand pounds of relief supplies only to find that they do not know whom to send the supplies to and that they do not have viable transportation options for shipping the goods.

At this juncture, it is often advisable for those collecting the goods to auction them off locally, converting commodities into cash to be applied to the relief effort. If these items cannot be auctioned, we recommend that they be donated to local charities where they might be beneficial to those in need in your own community.

[Ravenlord]

thanks, but that doesn't help my concern much.

[MWM]

There's probably not much that will be able to quell your concerns. I hear someone on television talking about this and he said that by the time stuff is donated here and you add the cost of getting it over there, it would be more expensive that buying it over there and would take longer to get there.

[Ravenlord]

wonder if that's because there isn't a lot of infrastructure there to begin with, let alone a goodly part of your shipping industry being wiped out.

[TeamBoone]

One of the national morning shows (I think The Today Show) had a gentleman on talking about why, in this particular situation anyway, that money was best. He listed all the things that 62 cents in American money can buy in most of the countries ravaged by the tsunami... the list was extensive.

Here is a link that lists various countries' government donations so far. It's extensive and if added up, the total has got to be astounding, even more so when private donations are included.

http://www.msnbc.com/modules/interactive.asp?id=/d/ip/who_helped_quake_041228/data.js&navid=6758618