Have you made your donation yet? /First cases of Cholera found?

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 12/31/04 at 8:30pm

Hey guys,

After this terrible, terrible disaster in Asia I believe it's important for every single one of us who is able to make a small donation to do so.

Lots of organisations are currently accepting donations online. Please if you can spare a few bucks visit one of the following:

www.redcross.org
www.americares.org
www.care.org
www.savethechildren.org
www.doctorswithoutborders.org
www.theIRC.org
www.oxfamamerica.org
www.projecthope.org

Every bit helps.

Thank you.

QM

Updated On: 1/1/05 at 08:30 PM

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 1/1/05 at 4:08pm

I wouldn't usually bump my own thread but this one is different, hence I'm bumping it, so that more people can see it.

According to some websites, the first cases of Cholera in Sri Lanka have been reported.

QM

Updated On: 1/1/05 at 04:08 PM

[bwayballerina]

Posted: 1/1/05 at 4:32pm

bumping this important thread...
I was at a youth group convention this past week, and we heard about the earthquake about half way though the convention. In just under 72 hours, we raised over 9 thousand dollars to be donated to one of the charities helping the victims.

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 1/1/05 at 4:42pm

That's very impressive, ballerina. Well done

I just read the numbers... how much money these organisations need to cover the basic costs over there. It's very frustrating.

QM

[NYadgal]

Posted: 1/1/05 at 4:45pm

Very important thread.

I contacted our HR department this past week about starting a 'matching' program, to encourage as much generosity from our employees as possible... The company will match what we donate.

And it will be a drop in the bucket. The needs are staggering!

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/1/05 at 5:26pm

We've already got a thread going on this topic. (I'm not discounting this thread, but the other one has additional organizations to donate to, so it should be checked out as well.)

I've already donated (twice) to Red Cross, Unicef and OxFam. I'm planning on matching every dollar I spend on eating out in January and sending that to the Red Cross as well. Incentive for me to watch my spending and help the people who need it the most at the same time!


The other tsunami donation thread.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 1/1/05 at 5:33pm

Many of us are returning to school and work on Monday -- I highly recommend we all take the initiative to start a fundraising campaign at our school, college, or workplace. A lot of money can be raised through friends and strangers through a little effort!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/1/05 at 5:35pm

I didn't tell ANYBODY about the purse, Tiff. How did you know?

In a move totally unlike me, I thought I would direct folks to the great work of Catholic Relief Services. Ordinarily I RUN don't WALK away from things with organized religion attached, but Catholic Relief Services is very cool because they DON'T have religion attached. They just do the kind of work that Jesus instructed people to do, feed the hungry, give the thirsty something to drink, with absolutely no strings attached, no proselytizing.

They aren't one of those charities that siphons off a huge percentage for overhead either, like Oxfam.

Here's a link:
CR.org

Updated On: 1/1/05 at 05:35 PM

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/1/05 at 5:39pm

"They aren't one of those charities that siphons off a huge percentage for overhead either, like Oxfam."


Oh sh*t, are you sure?? It was my first time donating to Oxfam - I didn't know they're one of those "$2 for them, $1 for us, $2 for them, $1 for us..." types. <-- wishing I'd donated everything to Red Cross or CR now.

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 1/1/05 at 5:40pm

Sorry, tiff, I never saw the other thread. Where have I been?
Fab incentive, by the way.

Great idea, BlueWizard and Addy. I shall be contacting our HR department first thing on Monday.

QM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/1/05 at 5:50pm

I think I was just being defensive about lining my name up with Catholic anything and so I did a jab at Oxfam. Which isn't sticking to my New Year's Resolution about being the nicest person I have ever known at all, is it? CRS has lower overhead. It's not like Oxfam is evil or anything, I just noticed in a newspaper chart that CRS had lower overhead expenses than Oxfam, among a couple of others. Like the Unitairians, for some reason!

[amasis]

Posted: 1/2/05 at 2:22am

Bump.
And a big hug to QM for starting this thread.

In Pictures: Relief Effort Begins Updated On: 1/2/05 at 02:22 AM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/2/05 at 2:24am

It is my understanding that they are refusing aid from Israel. If that's the case, then I'm not donating.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/2/05 at 2:25am

Who, Catholic Relief?

Edit: Just reread gothampc's post. Do you mean certain nations? Which ones?

Updated On: 1/2/05 at 02:25 AM

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 1/2/05 at 2:42am

I am trying to figure out some way to raise money when I get back up to school since I am a poor college student. All i have been able to do from home is talk as many people as I can into donating, but hopefully I'll be able to figure out something or join up with some other students in something. We have a decent Asian population at my college so I am sure some of the Asian groups will have at least a couple of fundraisers. I also worry that some of the music faculty I have met might have lost family over there.

(And thank you Namo. No one believes me when I tell them that CRS helps everyone regardless of what they believe.)

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/2/05 at 2:45am

Ok, maybe I've misunderstood. I guess Sri Lanka will accept goods from Israel, they've just been swamped with people and have asked Israel not to send people.

http://www.aljazeera.com/me.asp?service_ID=6511

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 1/2/05 at 7:33am

No offense, but before making harsh statements people should investigate thoroughly. Some people might just read the false statement without following up on the last post and immediately get wrong ideas. I really believe that 'politics' should have nothing to do with our donations.

Namo, thanks for letting us know about Catholic Relief. I had no idea.

QM

[amasis]

Posted: 1/2/05 at 10:00am

A doctor who flew to Sri Lanka was interviewed on Larry King Live the other day. He admitted he did not have enough personnel, but when he was asked if it would help if doctors flew in from other countries, his answer was: "Not really. Not really. What we need is -- the material that we have, the medicines and aid that we have, that has to reach to the area where it's required. That is not happening. That's what we're worried about, that's what we're concerned about, that's what we're trying to achieve." Whether or not his assessment is correct, that is probably the reason the team from Israel was rejected. The situation in the region is extremely chaotic -- different things are needed in different areas, and the people here are just beginning to try to figure this out, and are barely managing. Please try to understand, and as QM said, please be careful. It can be so easy for things to get twisted and mis-reported. We don't need any 'politics' right now.
CNN Transcript

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 1/3/05 at 6:00am

bump

[ElTico68]

Posted: 1/3/05 at 4:15pm

I figured... all the money I spend on cr*p, I give up a few things:

No lattes for a week: $12.50
Lunch from home: save at least $25.00

Just that adds up to $32.50 per week...

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/3/05 at 6:07pm

Did Sunday @ church

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 1/4/05 at 2:24pm

BUMP

[Feodor Sverdlov]

Posted: 1/4/05 at 2:36pm

Another excellent place to send funds is, Operation USA, which was founded by Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards (among others) in the late 70's.

http://www.opusa.org/

Updated On: 1/4/05 at 02:36 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/4/05 at 2:39pm

Donated yesterday and will try to again in a week or two. FYI, Doctors without Borders, which is listed in the initial post, is a great organization and very worthy of donations. However, according to their website, "A Special Note Regarding Donations for South Asia Disaster Relief
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has received an extraordinary outpouring of support for the people of South Asia and we are extremely grateful. As you know, it is very important to MSF that we use your contribution as you intend it to be used. This is why we want to let you know that at this time, MSF estimates that we have received sufficient funds for our currently foreseen emergency response in South Asia."
http://www.doctorswithoutborders-usa.org/donate/

Also, for those of you wondering how to donate when you return to your respective college campuses, here are some ideas:
1. Contact on campus housing and ask if donation containers can be set up at the front desks of the dorms. Maybe even the RAs could help arrange fundraising programs?
2. If you have an on campus bar, set up a donation container there.
3. Contact your university's programming board to see how you can help plan a fundraising event.
4. Place donatation containers in various departments at your university.

Those are just a few suggestions that vary based upon how involved you want to get. Hopefully, universities around the globe will be very active in soliciting donations from their students. Although college students are generally poor, even a few dollars from each can add up.

[amasis]

Posted: 1/4/05 at 10:33pm

*bump*