The Kettle just whistled and the coffee is on.. come on in and sit down..
How are you? How is your world? I really do mean that.. I hope my readers who like the Friday rambles posts will share interesting things about their area, their lives. I loved! how interactive and chat folks have been on the last two of these posts. So if you think should I write a comment, if you are willing please do.
One of the things that has been big news this week has been how little the red cross is helping the local folks that have been hurt by the tornado’s in the Ottawa area. I expect that this type of thing happens ALL THE TIME and because it’s not local and because it’s not in a first world with fast ability to use social media to share the information on that we just do not hear about it.
So the red cross was one of the first to arrive to help(or so they said) and they quickly raised 1.3 million in donations.. Want to guess how much of that money was given out by four weeks mark!
I can only imagine the shock of the first four weeks of losing your home, losing your community, in some cases losing your home, your workplace, your school, your church and in many cases your vehicles! Poof.. gone.. the stress of cloths to wear, right down to even shoes to put on your little ones feet..
So let’s go back shall we.. 1.3 MILLION and they had given out 3000 dollars in the first four weeks.. those that they did help got 600 if they are a family of 3 and under and 800 if they are four or more.. That’s a flat amount.. you could be a family of 12 and you still only count as a family of 4..
That’s not even 1 percent.. So the news got diggy and the red cross got ants in their pants.. I have been listening to the women who is “their voice” she will NEVER answer a direct question.. she is the queen of dance..
Her favorite line.. I can not say how much has been given out as that can change hourly..
HAHA.. WOW!!! what a bunch of Bull $#^# you trying to tell me that in today’s world that you don’t know to the last penny what has been spent.. I can log online right now to my bank and it will tell me up to the date what I have in my checking, my savings and on down the line.
You trying to tell me that the red cross is so far behind in their own banking that they do not know what they have and what they have spent!?
So here is what they have said to date.. they have earmarked for the Ottawa tornado victims 720,000 of that 1.3 million.. what I have not gotten an answer on, is the rest for the Quebec side of effected folks. Or are they really saying they need close to 500,000 for admin/personal.. cause.. what? if that is the case.. wow!
Because of the pressure placed on them locally, they have decided this week that they will give more folks the ability to claim that 600 and 800 for this month.. Let me explain the issue with this! They were going to do this anyway!
It’s a new month, they clearly said at the beginning that they would have to fill out their paperwork and continue to report monthly and then they would get their 600 and 800 per month.. So while they are up there in the news going.. WE ARE GIVING MORE money out..
Of course you are.. its a new month..
I did not donate to the red cross, I saw what they did when it came to the Fort Mac fires and how poorly they dealt with so many things..
They said they are looking at the long-term needs and that it must be a slow release of things so they can help for years to come.. I am not sure on that.. most of the folks do have insurance.. its my understanding 5 do not have anything (but will be covered on the province to a point) and that the rest all had private that will cover x amount.
So where does that leave us when we want to help? We do not want to get took by some fly by the night scammers and yet, clearly we do need to look smaller if we want a faster response
The response of the Canadian Red Cross appears to contrast starkly with that of West Carleton Disaster Relief, a volunteer organization that sprung up in the days following the tornado and which says it’s already delivered $500 cash payments to 137 families in the Dunrobin area.
Len Russell, the group’s secretary, said the money was delivered within about two and a half weeks, to help people meet basic needs without red tape.
Many were left with nothing and faced long waits for insurance payments, he said.
Russell was very critical of the response of the Canadian Red Cross, saying the short-term assistance has fallen far short of what was provided to residents affected by flooding last year in nearby Constance Bay.
“The reaction of people is, ‘I needed you in the first week,'” Russell said.
“We don’t need you three years from now, and yet you’re going to hold on to this money for years.'”
In addition to the $500 payments to families, Russell said the group has been helping to cover the cost of re-connecting utilities and leasing shipping containers for farmers who need storage after buildings were destroyed.
A volunteer board approves new programs as they’re needed.
While I can not find it in the news to back me up, I know that this group above also released more funds yesterday to all effected family’s and I love that they got sea cans for farmers and are paying those re-connecting costs, which can cost your hundreds for each one.. I just did a power reconnect that needs to be signed off and its not cheap at all.
I listened to the folks effected by the floods talking that a year later many of them are still waiting for insurance, waiting for repairs, waiting to even start building their homes again. I do understand that these thing do take time, I am not trying to say.. snap your fingers and its done..
What I am saying is that they say Donate.. and we will help them, we know what needs to be done.. well I am not so sure about that anymore..
I was thinking about the fact that there have been so many floods, so many fires, so many hurricanes this year.. I feel like this must be happening to thousands, tens of thousands of family’s right now all across Canada, N.A and across the world..
So I ask, If there has been an issue in your neck of the woods, do you find those that are to be helping are doing a good job? Do you find that local groups are stepping up to fill the gaps that the bigger ones are leaving? Do you donate to Red Cross? Would something like this make you rethink it? Do you donate cash to anyone? or do you prefer to give time, items?
Just another Day on the Farm 
RN comment on Facebook.. wanted to share it here as well.
GREAT topic today! – If they’re available in your area and depending on what you have to give, consider seeing if your farm bureau, farm aid, farm animal sanctuaries, domestic pet rescues/agencies, and local church food pantries accept what you have for donations, and after disasters, push those contacts out on every avenue possible for the ones affected. – – – The bigger the org, a lot of times, the bigger the budget for advertising and staff. I look for local but long-established and well-established groups and I’m more likely to support scuffed boots, old trucks, and orgs that cart and reuse hurricane/blizzard fencing than ones where everybody drives a $50K pickup and top-brand gear. I’m also more likely to go with groups that are national, but have local/county reps (toys for tots for example, although I had a bad enough experience with one local group that I gave serious thought to doing angel tree instead the next year – I’ve supported T4T for better than 20 years, though, and decided I was still supporting them, period, I just wouldn’t volunteer at that one again; Humane societies are each their own entity, even as ASPCA facilties, so they have different capabilities, rules, funding, and boss-worker).
In my small rural community – when something happens (house fire/whatever) the community FB admins auction off a deck of cards on a 50/50. So you pay etransfer 5.00 a card and you can pick your cards or let them pick them for you. When the deck is ‘sold out’ a computer program picks the winning card. Most people who win the 50% simply donate it back to be given along with the rest of the money to whomever we’re helping. If there is enough request, they’ll auction off a second deck of cards.
Now that’s something I usually get behind. It’s not a ton – but it helps.
Well, that’s a clever way to raise funds locally, I have heard of 50/50 draws and we do have them for community events but it considered gambling here in Ontario and there are som pretty tight rules around it. I think this kind of fund raiser would get around it.. its become very popular to have go fund pages in my area.
I have also heard that there are issues with the Red Cross. I do give them my blood but I do not give them any of my money. Personally I think it is better to give cash to smaller, local charities.
I know that here people are having an awful time recovering from the flood in May. Little response from all levels of government, although the Premier did take advantage of a good photo op and the chance to make some empty promises. There is also so much confusion regarding the resources available for flood victims. Many have left the area or are facing winter living in a camping trailer. We live in a first world country and pay a sh*t ton of taxes. We need to do better than this.
I have taken their first aid classes, and yes I have given and will continue to give blood in the future. Those are a fair points
I agree, I think we must do better as well, we can not let honest hard-working Canadian fall though the cracks when it comes to natural disasters. If we can not help now, what will we do when this becomes even more common place..
I am so sorry that many are facing coming into winter in a camping trailer. while it is possible to make it work, ( I know, I have done it) the truth is it would be easier in a “cabin” with a wood stove to keep things warm then it can be to run a trailer.. so few of them are even made for winter use..
They have found the same here, what they were told when things happen appears very hard to get or have happen in the end.
However, I do think that being able to move is important. While it hurts the community, it is vital that we have freedom of movement in our country.
It’s probably considered gambling here too – but if nobody is complaining…..😊
LOL..
I cant give blood as I lived in the UK during “mad cow” disease. I don’t give to Red Cross. As another poster said, big organizations take too much for their corporate needs and are too slow in making decisions. I have worked for two different hospice societies that had some really debatable practices for using their funding, due to Exec Directors who got the job for all the wrong reasons. You would think hospice societies would be above such things really. :-(. I am really quite wary of organizations that claim to do various things. I give time, goods and money within my local community ( it’s an Island, we all need to pull together). I take part in meal trains, knit for new babies, donate to the food bank etc etc. Much more so now we are in a small community than I ever did in a large town, even though we have a much reduced capacity to give these days. I have also, very recently, started contributing to an effort to send items to remote, Northern communities. I prefer to send items to be included in community sales, rather than donations. I have a feeling that people value a hat or some mittens more when they purchased them, rather than were given them, even if the price is much reduced. I’d be interested in your perspective on sending things North, as I know you lived there. I also knit hats for a brain tumour initiative, as my husband had a tumour, so there’s a connection there.
Thanks for the great comments Nicola, Sorry they can’t just do a test and then let you give blood.. I am really liking the sounds of your new home on the Island.. And Bless you for all the things you are doing to help your community small and large. As for the north.. is tricky.. I still support the northern dog programs, but after two years I stopped sending helping box’s to the north and now I give cash to one of the soup kitchens instead. I know my first box went to someone in need and I was very pleased.. however when I did my research on who was chosen for my second box I was very unhappy, as it turned out to be a full time government worker who got housing, my research showed that there was five full time employed workers in the family, with a income between them to the point they were traveling freely. They would have been income wise the 1 percent in their community and yet everyone in their family had signed up for the program. I felt that was abusing the system.. So I switched to giving directly to a hot meal program. While I know that everyone is welcome to come eat that hot meal, I do think its a better helping hand.
I haven’t donated to the Red Cross or other big organizations in years, because of how much I fear is spent in admin costs. If I want to donate we do a donation drive at work, or I donate to the charity shops (or buy in them!). Or we deliver food to the food bank. We are having a Christmas collection drive at work now and will contribute to that. Things and food yes, but cash, not so much.
Hi Silveryew, I do a lot of my shopping at church basement which supports many local community groups with the funds raised. I am with you, I prefer to donate direct.. There is a real push now at our local food bank to give cash, instead of food items.. I still give items and I support our local green food box, which is a community supported fresh fruits and veggies program.
The only thing I give to the red cross is blood. I support local initiatives where I can, and If, after due diligence, I find they’re on the up-and-up. It’s a sad fact of life, that we can’t simply trust anymore, but to do so blindly isn’t going to help anyone.
Yes, I do think its important in regards to giving blood for sure.. Thank you for doing that. I know I feel the same way.. we have to be so careful these days when we give. However its lovely to see that so many of us do give our time, and items Its uplifting to me to read all the kind and thoughtful things you folks are doing in your lives 🙂
Wow, I didn’t even know this happened, we are so inundated with tragedy and noise on American news outlets. Certainly makes my day, which I was grumbling about, something to be grateful for. I completely agree about donating to the large organizations. They have become sluggish, and out of touch. I hope you are all safe and prepared for winter, a Canadian winter in a camper would have some real hardships and challenges.
for sure, so much everywhere these days, very rough indeed for those struggling..