Six Feet of Water... Part 2

What the hell is Red Cross doing? I found this story on the People's Hurricane Relief Fund website. It sickens me.




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American Red Cross has an estimated $60 million in funds to help Katrina victims recover. It's called the "Means to Recovery" program. It is supposed to allocate a maximum of $20,000 per family to cover occupational costs, housing, furnishing, personal living needs and health costs. This could cover anything from eyeglasses to a used vehicle to education costs.
Haven't heard of it? Neither have most Katrina-Rita victims who need the assistance. The same agency that spends millions of advertising dollars begging for money won't provide free public service announcements to alert struggling hurricane survivor families that relief is available.
Red Cross is trying its best to keep the program a secret and discourage the survivors who find out about it. ARC chapters in areas such as Jackson, Mississippi have lied to survivors, denied the existence of such a program and is attempting to penalize recipients who tell others about it. In other areas, people are routinely denied assistance based on the whims of case managers who arbitrarily decide if a person will get assistance or how much of their needs will be addressed.
In Baton Rouge last month several Katrina-Rita survivors were burned out of an apartment complex when lightning struck. Red Cross offered them a hotel stay for two nights and then booted them out, saying that there was no other assistance available to people who had lost all of their possessions for the second time in two years. A PHRF staff member used his personal funds to house them for another night. Although "Means to Recovery" funds were available and needed, Red Cross staffers refused to let these double victims know about it.
Buried in the Red Cross website is a reference to the program that stresses that "this is not an entitlement program." In other words, survivors in need don't really have a right to the funds allocated to help them. However the agency seems to feel very much 'entitled'' to hold on to the funds for its own purposes. There is mean-spiritedness in the way Red Cross and some other agencies deal with Katrina survivors.
The feeling is that folks should be 'over it' by now, which is neither the reality nor a reasonable expectation for those whose entire lives have been forever changed by a disaster. Many Red Cross workers have not hidden their low opinion and hostile disposition toward hurricane victims, especially those of color. It has demonstrated an incredible lack of compassion and a proprietary attitude toward the actual funds it has been entrusted to distribute. Of course if you check their national website,
In Baton Rouge last month several Katrina-Rita survivors were burned out of an apartment complex when lightning struck. Red Cross offered them a hotel stay for two nights and then booted them out, saying that there was no other assistance available to people who had lost all of their possessions for the second time in two years. A PHRF staff member used his personal funds to house them for another night. Although "Means to Recovery" funds were available and needed, Red Cross staffers refused to let these double victims know about it.
Buried in the Red Cross website is a reference to the program that stresses that "this is not an entitlement program." In other words, survivors in need don't really have a right to the funds allocated to help them. However the agency seems to feel very much 'entitled' to hold on to the funds for its own purposes. There is mean-spiritedness in the way Red Cross and some other agencies deal with Katrina survivors. The feeling is that folks should be 'over it' by now, which is neither the reality nor a reasonable expectation for those whose entire lives have been forever changed by a disaster.
Many Red Cross workers have not hidden their low opinion and hostile disposition toward hurricane victims, especially those of color. It has demonstrated an incredible lack of compassion and a proprietary attitude toward the actual funds it has been entrusted to distribute. Of course if you check their national website, you will notice a 'diversity problem' with their staff leadership. Seems like ARC has several levels of issues that limit its value to people who are not White or wealthy.
The People's Hurricane Relief Fund and Oversight Committee and its allies are calling on the American Red Cross to:
1.)Immediately and aggressively notify the public about the "Means to Recovery" program
2.)Disburse the funds to Katrina-Rita Survivors within 90 days
3.)Account for all funds received for "Means to Recovery"
4.)Account for all funds disbursed on a dollars-to-demographics neighborhoods basis
5.)Begin to treat Black Survivors with dignity, compassion and respect
If none of the above are possible then Red Cross must give the money to an agency which can operate in a fair and competent fashion.

WHAT YOU CAN DO
We are calling on people of good will across the nation to help force Red Cross to do the right thing and do it NOW!

Here are some things you can do:
1.)Use all forms of communication to let people in your area know about the American Red Cross "Means to Recovery" program; be sure to include the phone numbers of the chapter in your area.
2.)Alert all kinds of civic, political, faith, fraternal, professional and other groups to the problem and have them join in a solidarity movement to address this problem.
3.)Hold press conferences and protest actions at the local offices of Red Cross
4.)Flood the offices with phone calls, faxes, letters and e-mails demanding to know, what is available and why they are making it difficult for survivors to receive these funds. Is the money earning interest somewhere? Will the interest go to survivors? What happens to the money if survivors don't use it?
American Red Cross National Headquarters, 2025 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006
Phone: (202) 303-4498 or the Donation Hotlines: 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) / 1-800-257-7575 (Español).
You can ask for Mark W. Everson, President and CEO or Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Chairman (sic) of the American Red Cross.
5.)Help the PHRF and its allies call for a federal, congressional or criminal investigation into the practices of groups such as Red Cross and United Way, who have received millions in the name of Katrina-Rita survivors, but require those in need to run a gauntlet to get even partial assistance.
6.)Join us at the International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in New Orleans August 29 –September 2nd where the crimes against the people of the Gulf Coast before, during and after the hurricanes will be discussed. Help us petition the United Nations and the International Red Cross to send teams to investigate the matter. Join the PHRF in a call for a tangible system of accountability for all public and private agencies or offices that are withholding resources given for Katrina relief.
7.)Help us petition the United Nations and the International Red Cross to send teams to investigate the matter.
8.)Join the PHRF in a call for a tangible system of accountability for all public and private agencies or offices that are withholding resources given for Katrina relief.