What are YOU doing about Tsunami relief?

I'm curious to hear what people here are doing as their part. Are you giving? Volunteering? How much and to who? If not, why not? Yes, it's a personal question but I take this event personally. Remember we all have our 'mask/username' to hide behind in so nobody knows who we are so please be honest.

I believe most of my tax money is going to be sent over there, or at least some of it, so that's my contribution.

I have to agree. Being of middle class in nyc is equivilent to being poor. You pretty much live check to check. The gov't should speak(pay) on my behalf...and I'm glad they have.

yes, my tax money is being sent over there, so that's what I'm doing.

I don't contribute to international disaster relief... I try to take care of people right here at home...

Im in the same boat as the above posters. I did however send a few bucks to the Red Cross. Not alot, but some. I wanted to get something together at my company, but thats not looking to good.

If I had a little more means, I think id be alot more active as my heart is heavily burdened with the cause.

Along the same lines as previous posts. My tax money is going there, but I also donated a bit to Doctors Without Borders and will be attending a benefit for Sri Lanka victims.

$100 to Doctors Without Borders
$100 to Red Cross
cash offering at my church next weekend

Time is seriously limited right now, but $$$, thankfully, is less so.

For everyone grumbling "my tax dollars are going over there," the amount currently pledged by the US gov't is a pittance. What is it now, $350 million? We spent $13 billion on hurricane relief last year in Florida alone.

Do unto others, y'all.

I asked Washington site .If they could send me over if they could pay for my plane ticket .I would work for free to help.I have income i get every month .So I would go if they would let me ~~~ Litocean~~~

My wife and I are sending money directly to a family we know who lived in Banda Aech. We and other friends will be helping them rebuild their home and restart their business (doesn�t take that much in a 3rd world country).

We�ve also give about 10% of our income to our church, which helps in such things.

And of course, my taxes help pay for that Aircraft carrier group now delivering supplies and helping out with things.

why is this anyone's business? what people do or don't do with regards to charity is a personal thing. Unless you're a celebrity. Then you use the opportunity to get your name in the papers like Sandra Bulloch did. I find it appalling that people need to discuss the amount of money they give to charities. If someone can't afford to give $50, they shouldn't feel obligated or guilted into it, which is what often happens.

Yes our tax dollars are heading overseas to help out. yes, those that can, and are willing, do send more. It should be left at that.

Done preaching.

Originally posted by sandge
For everyone grumbling "my tax dollars are going over there," the amount currently pledged by the US gov't is a pittance. What is it now, $350 million? We spent $13 billion on hurricane relief last year in Florida alone.

Do unto others, y'all.

That's not fair. That was for multiple hurricanes with a larger area affected and it was for OUR homeland.

I have donated some money to The Red Cross, not much, but is the
best I can do at the moment, I wish I had more to give.

my family has donated some money to doctors with out borders, and I'm hoping to give some more soon.

I hear a lot of people (not here, neccesarily) saying that they have no obligation, because its a different country. IMHO, its not a different country that we're helping. its people. I have a friend in india, and he's lost several people in his village.

and like sandje said........do unto others.

oh, yeah. madhatter, don't feel guilty at all!! If everyone gave a small amount, however little, it all adds up.

[edit on 4-1-2005 by Bean]

Right now I am trying to understand how america with it's 8 trillion dollar national debt ', with numerous state and local governments fileing chapter 11, with the government telling us that the average family is carrying 10 thousand dollars in credit card debt ahd that social security is in serious trouble, with the dollars preformance or should I say slide to even lower as compare to the Euro. at an exchange of 1.31 for each Euro or so I'm told.
I can't believe that dummy Bush, getting on TV with his dad and Bill Clinton and basically panhandeling the American public and private sector for donations, after obligating the taxpayer to the sum of 350 million Just how much are these other countries giving and why dose'nt that ever get covered in the media? Why are the relief funds discussed in dollars with these european countries don,t they use euro,s or are they just dumping the dollars . Even China I want to see amounts in Yen and Euro's
Am I missing something or did'nt the UN scandle show coruption and the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars and yet they get on national TV and start critizing America saying we were stingy in relief support , as if we would ever trust them to handle donations. And am I missing something , but don't the population base have a sizable muslim element that actively supports muslim extreamism very strong dislike of the western ideals and an outright hate for americans or did those folks start liking us overnight. How would the aid really go to the innocent victims without getting diverted like so much of the Iraqi food for oil program.
I think we need to clean up our own house before we start showing off to the rest of the world , one persons opinion

doctors without borders says they don't want more donations:

www.msnbc.msn.com...

Originally posted by Crakeur
why is this anyone's business?

It's not anyone's business. I'm curious what people are giving and feeling about the incident.

Originally posted by Crakeur
what people do or don't do with regards to charity is a personal thing. Unless you're a celebrity. Then you use the opportunity to get your name in the papers like Sandra Bulloch did. I find it appalling that people need to discuss the amount of money they give to charities.

Fair enough, you don't have to.

Originally posted by Crakeur
If someone can't afford to give $50, they shouldn't feel obligated or guilted into it, which is what often happens.

I agree, they should not feel obligated or guilted. My apologies to those who felt that way by my starting this thread.

Originally posted by Crakeur
Yes our tax dollars are heading overseas to help out. yes, those that can, and are willing, do send more. It should be left at that.
Done preaching.

Still trying to figure out what I could and should do.

Endeavoring to get a small donation through AOL/Asia Aid, and the plumbing gets all tangled up.

I'll have to go find some other place to donate. Know any?

Here's one in which 100% of the donations go directly for relief. No strings.

www.americares.org...



[edit on 4-1-2005 by defrag99]

Originally posted by sandge
$100 to Doctors Without Borders
$100 to Red Cross
cash offering at my church next weekend

Time is seriously limited right now, but $$$, thankfully, is less so.

For everyone grumbling "my tax dollars are going over there," the amount currently pledged by the US gov't is a pittance. What is it now, $350 million? We spent $13 billion on hurricane relief last year in Florida alone.

Do unto others, y'all.

This helps give me ideas.

Saint, if you want to do something and you are not sure what is best, call some of the agencies that are involved in doling out aid. They should be able to tell you what would be best. For example, Drs without borders doesn't want money but they might want something else. I heard on the news last night that in one Sri Lanka town there are something like 25 docotrs with only one stethoscope. donate stethoscopes.

There are so many ways to help, the thing is, people always go money first as it is the easiest. Lots of money winds up being misspent or goes to paying salaries and overhead. Personally I would rather send one blanket that would get used than pay some local phone operator who handled my call.

www.c7f.navy.mil...
www.cusnc.navy.mil...
www.defenselink.mil...
www.news.navy.mil...
www.news.navy.mil...
www.pacom.mil...


Now just who do you think has footed the bill for the infrastructure evident in the pages cited above?

Guess people think the ships described in the links above just mysteriously appeared on the horizon.

And the salary of the all the sailors, airmen, national guard, etc. etc. are paid for by whom?

The American taxpayer, making 8, 12, or 15 bucks an hour paid for that stuff pal.

As for me personally, you have no dang business knowing what I do with my money.