Where is the Red Cross?

[trof]

Note: Baldwin County, Alabama is the largest county in land area east of the Mississippi. About 75 miles, north to south; 35 miles east to west.

An hour ago I was in a big farmer's market in the town of Loxley, 20 miles north of here. A nice looking woman about my age (60s) approached me.

"Pardon, me. I'm from Louisiana. Do you know where the Loxley Civic Center is? I'm trying to register with the Red Cross."
"I'm sorry, I don't. I thought there was a Red Cross Center down the road in Robertsdale."
"There was, but they were dismantling it when we got there. They told us to go to Daphne (on the other side of the county, about 25 miles away.) In Daphne, they were closing and told us the center was now in Loxley and sent us here."

I took her to one of the market's workers. She gave the woman directions to the civic center (town hall).

I saw there were two others with her. We chatted for a few minutes. They are from New Orleans and are staying with her sister in Fairhope, on Mobile Bay. They've been here since the Sunday before Katrina hit. They have nothing left to go back to in New Orleans. They've been trying for the last 3 days to register with the Red Cross, mainly to try and locate loved ones they were separated from. I wished them well.

It's been two full weeks since Katrina hit.
Where is the Red Cross?
Would they mind just staying still long enough to be located?
Thank you.
:grr:

[shaniqua6392]

1. Yes. Especially since the caring people of the United States

and abroad have given them $900 million dollars in the last 2 weeks.

[mitchtv]

3. there you go

they are busy counting out their 40% of the take. Privatized national security. one for you, two for me.

[ThoughtCriminal]

2. Makes you wonder about the claims that the LA DHS

kept Red Cross out of New Orleans.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. they can register on line I think

if not give them,. I am not shitting you here, the number of the ICRC in Geneva

[meganmonkey]

5. As someone working directly in nonprofit disaster/emergency relief

(albeit in a far away state - and I will not name names so as to protect...er...myself) it seems to me that there is something really wrong happening, and the nonprofits are being run around in fucking circles - I am not sure by whom, exactly, state, federal, something. And it doesn't feel like incompetence, it feels like sabotage. Just like the supplies that were within a stone's throw of New Orleans and unable to get in, just like the stories of these locked-down camps and places where they are keeping evacuees and not letting local organizations in to help...I don't know, something is wrong. Even locally we are having a hell of a time getting it together for the folks turning up in our area - and we are pretty well-organized. And the only thing I can think of is that they are trying to contract it all out, that the money congress approved is going to end up in the coffers of Halliburton and friends...

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. As somebody who used to work as a medic

in a developing world for a national red cross society, if you are Red Cross, here is what you do

You go down to the ICRC site, and DOWNLOAD the Geneva Convention, become very familiar with it, and USE IT to go around the government to the point of risking arrest and even getting killed.

Trust me been there, done that, plenty of times and this is what you need to do....

No, they don't teach this to the ARC volunteers in the US, I did teach this to my students...

Oh and you are right, that is what they are doing... moreover, the revolt by volunteers needs to happen, because part of the problem with the ARC are the people in leadership PAID position who have forgotten what it means.

If you want I can take you to the relevant sections over PM

On edit, spelling, I know I am asking for soemthing that is not easy... but been there done that, and it is never easy when you have to finally do it. After all the risks are hight... very high...

[meganmonkey]

7. I am not Red Cross, nor am I a volunteer

I work with them, but not for them. And my organization is working together with them right now to get help for the folks coming to our town - we are breaching 'protocol' because as nonprofits our one and only goal is to provide services to the people who need it. We are acheiving our goal, despite what seems like efforts to stop us from doing so.

[MissMarple]

8. Big hug!

:hug:

[meganmonkey]

9. Right back at ya!

:hug:

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Trust me when I say this

braeking protocol to get the help in

Yep, sad part is that these kinds of games were not needed here...

[blondeatlast]

12. ICRC and American Red Cross seem to be divided philosphically;

am I mistaken in my belief that the ARC has very little to do with ICRC?

Just curious about this--I have NO evidence.

Thanks.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. It is a natioanl society

the ARC is... but part of the Internatioanl Movement, and they have delegates in Geneva, who like most other national delegates are administrative types and well compensated.

[blondeatlast]

18. I've been hesitant to voice my thoughts on the matter. Good to hear

from a source I can respect. Thanks.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. You can find this info at the ICRC webstie as well

as the ARC site, somewhere

[Heddi]

13. IT IS SABATOGE

read the post I just made re: hubby working for Red Cross.

FEMA is FUCKING with the Red Cross. They tell them to set up a service facility at X location KNOWING that x location is under water. They then tell the Red Cross to go to Y location that is dry, however, FEMA continues to tell evaucees that the Red Cross is at X location. Evacuees go there, find no red cross, come back and complain that the REd Cross is leaving them high and dry.

NOT SO. The REd Cross is there--FEMA is sabatoging them.

BUT---they're not doing the same with the Salvation Army.

why? The Salvation Army is a Christian Organization. They are a faith-based charity organization.

Is it any wonder that a FAITH-BASED charity organization is getting NO bad press, not being sent to bad locations, not looking like they're just hanging out and doing nothing? Could it be PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT?

People need to THINK before they have knee-jerk reactions bashing the ARC. The ARC is there and WANTS to help--FEMA and the federal government is fucking them around and making ARC look like wankers and, incidentally, at the same time, making FEMA, Feds, and Salvation Army look like white knights on horses doing the job that secular organizations cannot.

This IS Sabatoge. PURPOSEFUL.

[meganmonkey]

17. Jinx!

I was just replying to your below post while you were posting this

:hi:

[Lisa]

22. and also, people associate the Red Cross with the Geneva Convention

You know, that antiquated silly piece of legislation that Bush's people hate with a passion, because it reminds them of -- I don't know -- countries working together, and strong nations bowing before the law? Everybody I know who works for the Red Cross is proud that their organization's name is written into that document. I believe that somebody somewhere knows this, and takes great joy in seeing the ARC kneeling before them, begging to be allowed to do their job.

I think you are onto something here, Heddi. If they can make the Red Cross look inept, and also if they can turn away rescue teams from other countries so as to be able to tell their "base" that "nobody out there cares about America" -- well, they'll have gotten something for themselves out of this debacle they created.

And they are very, very good at doing that. It's something far removed from being Pollyannas and trying to look on the bright side ... it's even beyond trying to make the best out of a bad situation. It's something so twisted and selfish that I will have to find a dictionary and look to see if anyone's made up a name for it.

Because it's the kind of thing that the Red Cross and the Geneva Conventions exist to prevent.

[Heddi]

10. My husband works for the Red Cross

although not in Disaster Relief but rather Blood Services. The two are completely separate entities, as far as disaster relief is concerned.

Today, when he went to work, there were about 200 people at our local office getting ready to head down to LA, MS, and AL.

His boss sent out a memorandum last week asking for any Blood Services employees that were interested in becoming trained in Disaster Relief and going down to the Gulf Coast as volunteers.

Granted, we're out on the West Coast, in the middle of Washington State. However, from what he's heard from his boss and the boss of Disaster Relief Services, there is much confusion down in LA and it's because of the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT mismanaging the whole thing and telling the Red Cross to set up services, say, at the corner of First and Elm. However, when the Red Cross volunteers and supplies get to First and Elm, First and Elm is under 3 feet of water. So they get back with FEMA who tells them that instead of going to First and Elm, go to the corner of Second and Oak. So they go to SEcond and Oak, set up facilities there, but FEMA is telling evacuees and others that the Red Cross is still at First and Elm (which they're not).

The REd Cross is having a hard time down there because it seems that FEMA is basically setting them up for failure by sending them to unobtainable locations and telling locals to go places where they (FEMA) KNOWS the Red Cross isn't.

Word around the office is that FEMA *WANTS* The Red Cross to look bad, and for FEMA to look like the shining knights that are there to save people.

I don't know why the Red Cross gets so much flack on this board. The training my husband went through to get his job (2 weeks to learn how to take Health Histories, and another 2 weeks to learn phlebotomy) costs money. Our regional headquarters is in Portland--that covers nearly all of WA, some of ID, and all of OR---if he goes for training, the RC pays for his hotel and food while he's down there. Salaries cost money. Training cost money. Driving 4 hours each way to do blood drives cost money. Doing the things they do cost money. Of course not 100% of donations will go to JUST disaster services---the people who are doing disaster relief have to be trained to do their job. They have to get to the area somehow, and fleets of cars and gas to fill those cars aren't free.

The people who work for the red cross in non-CEO positions are doing the job they do because they CARE about people they are helping. If it's not a hurricane, it's helping people find temporary housing, clothing, and jobs if their house burned down. It's helping people in a myriad of situations. The Red Cross functions still even though the majority of workers in Disaster Relief are in the Gulf Coast. Houses burn down, families die, people need assistance in local communities and THAT costs money. THe Red Cross doesn't operate in a vaccuum, and they don't stop helping locally because of a national disaster.

They are a good organization. They're TRYING to help but FEMA IS NOT LETTING THEM and they (fema) are PURPOSEFULLY setting up the REd Cross to make it look like the Red Cross isn't doing anything. They are. THere are FLEETS of local workers who are down there and can't get anything done because of FEDERAL BUNGLING. This I swear to be true.

Notice that the Salvation Army isn't getting the same bad press-of course, it's nice to remember that the Salvation Army is a FAITH BASED charity organization...the Red Cross is not. DOes it surprise you that the BUSH ADMINISTRATION is giving better press and preferential treatment to a FAITH BASED CHAIRITY ORGANIZATION rather than one that is not linked to any religion or religious doctorine??

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. does the training includes

the principles? How about history of the Red Cross Movement? What about the Geneva Convention?

Why they get so much flack? At least for me it has been the contacts I have had...

As to what you are describing, here is what yuo do... STOP listening to FEMA, get on local radio and tell people we are setting here. FEMA tells them to move, assertively tell them, WE ARE an independent organization from the Feds, and we will accomplish OUR MISSION.

It is times like this that excuses have to stop and people (not only the Red Cross, everybody) needs to do what they need to do. If that means going around a military checkpoint, you do that... if that means setting up and basically working AROUND the Feds, through local radio stations so be it.

See you are counting on FEMA to make you look good, they proven they won't, doing the same given the evidence is a sign of insanity. Oh and as I posted above been there, done that...

[Heddi]

21. I don't know about the training in depth

because my husband works for them, not I.

When he first got the job and had his first stint of 2-week straight training in Portland, they did go over the history of the International Red Cross, the American Red Cross, The Red Crescent, and other affiliations.

I don't know if he got training in the Geneva Convention because he works for Blood Services--he rarely leaves the state to do blood drives and I would think would have no need to learn the Geneva Convention (and how it relates to the Red Cross) because he does not and most likely will not be performing his job outside of Washington and Oregon and defintely not overseas.

I can tell you that those who are hired to work in Disaster Relief and International Operations do get completely different training than those in Blood Services since their jobs are so completely different in every way, shape and form. I would assume (again, just assumption) that those who are trained in Disaster Relief would get Geneva Convention training since their jobs have a much higher liklihood of being taken out of the country than my husband's job, and those that do the same thing he does, would.

I think the problem down in the Gulf Coasts is that FEMA is basically doing everything and isn't letting organizations like the Red Cross just go wherever they want. Given the situation down there, and given the information that hubby gets from his job (which is limited just because of his job) there is ALOT of disorganization down there. From what I understand, the Red Cross is trying (TRYING) to coordinate with FEMA so that way evacuees, families, business owners, etc, will know where to go and what to do. FEMA, however, is putting up roadblocks at every turn.

Based on the memo he got last week, and the office chatter in the last 2 weeks, I think that the local ARC affiliates that are down there are getting quite tired quite quickly at FEMA and are doing everything they can to circumvent their interaction with FEMA and are trying to do things independently. The situation in the city is dire, and free access to areas is not readily available. I think the city is more 'locked down' than the media would have us believe.

I dont' think, however, that the RC is "counting" on FEMA to look good---I think they were counting on FEMA to help organize things and locations, to have central offices or locations on hand so that people could know where to go if they needed to reach the RC. FEMA, however, while not being counted on to make the RC look good has done a TREMENDOUS job of making the RC look absolutely BAD, and without any provocation or reason on the part of the RC.

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. reason or provocation

Gonzales, the Geneva Convention is quaint....

Now take the advise I just gave, includign going public and see if you can get that up to where the people in charge will do that... go public, and I know why tehy will resist, damn neutrality... but they need to.

As to working around the Feds, go to community activists, things like that... oh and it is never easy to finally go we can't count on you and we are truly independent.

But reality is that the ARC is part of the planning at FEMA, that is one reason they cannot truly be as independent as they should, a marriage that made sense, unitl Gonzales and the ARC did not say a thing, publicly... when Gonzales said that... I know the ICRC rep in the states left in a jiffy.

[meganmonkey]

16. You are on target - FEMA IS NOT LETTING THEM

That is the key.

Even a thousand miles away from the disaster, we are hitting roadblocks to aiding these people that shouldn't exist.

I don't understand it. My organization (which works closely w/the Red Cross at times like this) is terribly frustrated. We are finding ways around it so the people coming up here from the south are getting some services, but it is frustrating, inefficient, and not really sustainable.

Your theory about the Red Cross not being 'faith-based' is intriguing to me...my first instinct was that they don't want nonprofits getting all the 'business', so to speak, rather they want to contract out the distribution of food, supplies, etc to private companies to fill their friends' pockets (Halliburton, etc).

(for the record, my org is not 'faith-based' either)

Something is wrong though. It is fucked up. And I believe strongly is NOT the fault of the Red Cross or any other NGOs.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. NGOs need to work around the Feds

here are some things you can do... reach out to local community, and go public

also work through radio

Now the Red Cross by tradition does not go public in situations like this, they have a couple times, in recent history and this is when things started improving on the ground. (no not the ARC, other societies including the ICRC)

But NGOs need to work around the Feds and find a way to make it sustainable.

Want some ways? I will give practical examples

Lets say you need oh I don't know 1000 cans of baby formula, call the local station and tell them, this is what we need to accomplish our mission, they put it on the air, and GO on the record. Oh and expect retribution, and expect that until these bastards are out, FEMA and the FEDS cannot be counted for anything

Insofar as the ARC is concerned, the Geneva Conversion does not only apply in time of war, as the 1948 convention addresses exactly what we are seeing.

[applegrove]

24. They've been diminshed and blocked from getting in too.