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they didn't want cloths etc.. his answer was they have the infrastructure in place to buy every thing that the people will need

Ahh. I get it now. It's easier for the Red Cross to line their own pockets with cash than with a used sweater.

Reminds me of an time a few years back when the kids and i were returning from the grocery and stopped at a stoplight. There stood a "homeless vet" looking for handouts. My son jumped out of the car to hand the man one bag of our groceries. The man declined the food.

Ahh. I get it now. It's easier for the Red Cross to line their own pockets with cash than with a used sweater.

I'm wondering how many folks have actually seen a disaster area... Cash is a hell of a lot easier to transport, it helps the economy in a ravaged area, and folks get the stuff they generally need.

But let's look at item collection - let's say they do a gathering of stuff in Los Angeles, not limiting it to only new items. They get to gather the stuff, sort the stuff, clean the stuff, sort what is left, then pack it into containers, ship it.. All of this takes time. Meanwhile, folks would be really happy for some bottled water, a bit of OJ and a hot meal.

Typically, at the shelter, folks will come by and deliver stuff to be distributed. I've seen this in islands that have been ravaged by typhoons where I didn't think anyone anywhere had anything left. But they did, they came by, and they donated it. I guarantee you by morning that there will be hundreds of cars in front of the Astrodome with folks offering blankets, toys and other items for the refugees.

This isn't 9/11. You're not talking about a generally well off population, you're talking about people who were poor to begin with. And you're not talking about a small number of people, you're talking about upwards of a million. Even if the generous people of these United States raised a billion dollars, that is only a thousand dollars a person for the affected.

The Red Cross is going to be bleeding bucks from this, as well as the Salvation Army, as well as just about every other charity organization. A month from now, a lot of them are going to be screaming for even more money as they try to get a handle on the situation.

The president is talking 10 billion dollars - 10,000 per person directly affected. The majority of that money is going to go towards infrastructure. Rebuilding schools, court houses, police stations, communications infrastructure, water mains, gas lines, public facilities such as parks.

Give to whomever you like, as much as you can. The Red Cross is out there operating the shelters and they really need money right now. Work with your church to do clothing, canned foods, and other drives - sort the items, package it, and then give a call to one of the aid organizations - oh and be ready to pony up the bill for shipping it too.