[yoyoyoyo]

Originally Posted by MarcoH64

Don't take this negative, but i would like to give a comment on this. Don't think i am trying to ignore how serious this situation is, and this is not a personal remark to you.

Yes, there are a lot of people needing help out there, and yes they will need money also to get help. But.....i don't think it is a question of only money at this time, there should also be a trustworthy organisation that could do something with that money NOW (if that is the motivation for your rush). from what i have seen i don't believe that any available help is not given because of a lack of money, but more due to many other reasons. This would take away the motivation for your 'NOW' call.

I am sure that once things get organized and help CAN be given, the official Aid organisations will be providing an official donation programm, and i have no doubt that there will be given attention to it here.

The Red Cross is on the ground at this very moment giving aid to those in need. All of that costs money - that is a no-brainer. I really don't see what the question is.

You are correct- there are many other needy people all over the world- and most of them are served in some way by the Red Cross. I trust that the Red Cross will put all donations where they are needed most.

This is a major disaster, and in the end thousands of people will die as a result. The need is CLEAR, and the Red Cross is very trustworthy!

Each year, the American Red Cross responds immediately to more than 70,000 disasters, including house or apartment fires (the majority of disaster responses), hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hazardous materials spills, transportation accidents, explosions, and other natural and man-made disasters. Their Blood & Tissue services they provide save countless lives each year. Half the nation's blood supply--six million pints annually--is collected by more than 190,000 Red Cross volunteers. Every year, the Red Cross is there for hurricane, earthquake, and other disaster victims--including 150 families forced from their homes by fire every day. 175,000 volunteers worked to prevent, prepare for and respond to nearly 64,000 disaster incidents last year. Over 15 million Americans turn to the Red Cross to learn first aid, CPR, swimming, and other health and safety skills each year. Last year, more than 230,000 people volunteered to teach those courses. They provide support to the Military, and their families as well as provide emergency communications that link them with their families back home, access to financial assistance, counseling and assistance to veterans. The American Red Cross, working with the International Red Cross, helps vulnerable people around the world to prevent, prepare for, and respond to disasters, complex humanitarian emergencies, and life-threatening health conditions.

Do you consider that "trustworthy"?

Originally Posted by Tony G

I don't want to sound rude, but the media are all over this. Nobody who comes here wouldn't know about the Hurricane, what happened, and that you can donate. We all want to help, but labelling the staff as cruel for not adopting this idea immediately isn't right.

I agree that the "cruel" label was overboard (and it was not mine), but part of the frustration is that not enough is being done- just watch the news. So, to sit back and see nothing being done about it here, and elsewhere adds to the frustration. To say "Everyone knows about it" is a real "let them eat cake" kind of attitude, because by that logic nobody needed to have a banner here for the tsunami, either, but I bet more than one person donated by clicking on that banner.