There are a lot of support efforts going on in America right now for the victims of Katrina: non-profit organization collections, corporate donations through sales, individual donations, volunteer efforts, government aid, private offers of housing, etc. I've always been more likely to donate physical items or volunteer my time than to pledge a lot of monetary support to charities. Mostly because I'm occasionally weary of non-profit use of funds, and this way I know exactly how I ended up helping.
Well today, one of my friends sent me a very detailed email which was basically a chain letter where people add ways to provide direct physical support to hurricane victims. Things like people from affected areas listing addresses for local charities who accept food, clothing and supply donations, and a lot of people from relocation areas like Houston saying you could mail them stuff and they would take it to a charity or refuge themselves.
I spent a good minute going through some of these personal offers, most of which sounded very sincere. What a great way to cut through the red tape right?
Finally, I got to a long message (412 words to be exact) from a student at Concordia Lutheran University in Austin, Texas. She was taking clothing donations for relief kits at a local church. This seemed like the honest, motivated person to do some good locally.
Then I got to the end. Have a snippet read:
Everyone wants us to send money so they can help, but I am willing to set up a Katrina Clothing Relief Bank so these people can get into some decent clothing. This is all done out of love and kindness. Please-only serious people get respond to this. For now, I will do a one-woman(and husband) operation and accept what material items you would like to donate. I will email all who send items and let them know where their donations go(individual, church, shelter, people in hotels, families in motels, families housed with individuals, etc. This will be a strict operation for Katrina victims. People will be sending items to help those devestated from the tornado, so that is where their efforts will be channeled.
I'm not really sure how you fuck something like that up, but she did it! Katrina Clothing Bank? Are you sure you don't mean Katrina's Second Chance Consignment Store?