Have you donated for the tsunami victims?

[gini]

It has been suggested that America is being stingy in its response to the tsunami victims and the various countries.

I hope that this isn't true.

Have you donated?

[Logan]

We took part of our Christmas money and donated today through the International Red Cross. I wish we could have done more.

[slick]

http://www.chsredcross.org/article.asp?id=000005&tid=003
1-800-418-1111

For the Canadians, you can donate on line or by calling the above number.

I tried calling the 1-800 number for about an hour at lunchtime and kept getting busy signal. Must be really busy. Will try the website.

Edit: donating on line took me all of 1 minute. :)
Edit again: not only that but my receipt has already been emailed to me. How quick is that.

Come on folks. These people need us.

[cookieluver7]

No, not yet. But I will! :)

[manda_moo87]

Yes, my family sent a donation.

[Tonya]

No, but I plan on donating.

[Miss Meow]

Originally posted by gini
It has been suggested that America is being stingy in its response to the tsunami victims and the various countries.

I hope that this isn't true.

Have you donated?

Gini, I saw on the news that America had donated $19m immediately and another $25m yesterday. Colin Powell said the government was monitoring the situation to see what and how much was needed next. It's sad to hear that some think that is stingy.

Other countries and the UN have also donated money, supplies and personnel to help.

We are donating our new year's eve money tomorrow.

Even a dollar will give someone enough bottled water to keep them alive for the next few days so every little bit helps.

[cloverfdx]

Not yet, but i will be tomorrow.

[Barbara]

I will wait. I still don't have news from everyone I know down there and I do not want to give money to a big organization but wait until some friends can tell me where I can help directly.

I am especially worried for the Langkawi Cat and Dog shelter (see link below). Langkawi is a Malaysian island close to Penang and I know that the flood hit it. Narelle who is managing a restaurant and the shelter has not answered my e-mail up to now. Her place is close to the water and I am so worried.

Langkawi animal shelter (http://www.bontonresort.com/lassie.html)

The German government up to now has donated 20 mill. Euro.

[primabella]

I was talking to my dad about this and he's planning on donating too. I wish there was more I could do. :(

[RICHARD]

Funny,

The United States will always be looked at as an evil empire, no matter what happens.

We are criticized for going to war, for getting involved in Iraq and Afghanistan-in some ways rightfully so...

I love it when I hear that we are imposing our will upon countries across the world.


Then we get hammered for "being stingy" , for Bush not running back to D.C. to give a speech and for not delivering aid "fast enough".


I will send my money to aid the people but not one red cent to the U.N. relief efforts.


We do have to pay back the international relief that Florida got when the hurricanes hit.

[lovemyshiba]

Not yet, but I do plan on donating.

For those of you who have, what organization are you donating through?

[RICHARD]

http://www.msnbc.com/modules/interactive.asp?id=/d/ip/tsunami_aid_04/data.js&navid=6758618&GT1=5936


I will donate to the american red cross and doctors without borders.

[gini]

I donated to the American Red Cross, International Response Fund. Richard mentioned Doctors without Borders which is also an excellent organization.

I have listed below some of the agencies that appeared on ABC,
however, I am not familiar with all of the agencies.

Agencies Planning Aid to Earthquake Victims
The following aid agencies are accepting contributions for assistance that they or their affiliates will provide for those affected by the earthquake and tidal waves in Asia.

American Jewish World Service
45 West 36th Street, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10018
800-889-7146

American Red Cross
International Response Fund
PO Box 37243
Washington, DC 20013
800-HELP NOW

Catholic Relief Services
PO Box 17090
Baltimore, MD 21203-7090
800-736-3467

Dharma Vigaya Buddhist Vihara
1847 Crenshaw Blvd.
Los Angeles 90019
323-737-5084
Raising money to send back to Sri Lanka


Direct Relief International
27 South La Patera Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93117
805-964-4767

Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres
PO Box 2247
New York, NY 10116-2247
888-392-0392

International Medical Corps
11500 West Olympic Blvd., Suite 506
Los Angeles, CA 90064
800-481-4462

International Orthodox Christian Charities
Middle East Crisis Response
PO Box 630225
Baltimore, MD 21263-0225
877-803-4622

Islamic Relief USA
(888) 479-4968.


Mercy Corps
PO Box 2669
Portland, OR 97208
800-852-2100

Music For Relief
In response to the massive appeal for aid in the earthquake and tsunami stricken areas of Southern Asia, concerned musicians and fans along with the American Red Cross, have formed Music For Relief.


Operation USA
8320 Melrose Avenue, Ste. 200
Los Angles, CA 90069
800-678-7255

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

We are both very touched by this terrible news... So many people died, just because nobody warned them about the earthquake...!
We donated immediately, because it is important to bury all victims asap. I may not think of all possible diseases that will burst out...

We choose, The Red Cross, Unicef, and Doctors without borders (we call them Artsen zonder grenzen in Dutch).

[Freckles]

My favorite is NW Medical Teams (http://www.nwmedicalteams.org/). 96% of the donation goes directly to aid.

[RICHARD]

I noticed that there is quite a Muslim population in the stricken areas....


I wonder what thier brothers and sisters from the Middle East are donating??

[gini]

OMG, Richard, you just gave me an idea.

How about EVERYONE from Iraq quit fighting, bombing, plotting, and high tail it over to those areas to help out! This could bring about a fine conclusion to the distressful Iraqi situation - we could continue to rebuild while they were away.

When they returned from this magnificent mission, their country would be good as new...........

I must be dreaming again....................

[Kirsten]

I donated, too (to doctors without borders). Looks like the rest of my family has been stingy, even though they have more money than I have. It's been a bit disappointing to learn about that. :(

But I heard the German people have donated a lot of money already.
Our Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, has suggested to not buy fire works for New Year's this year, but to donate the money instead. Obviously many people did...

Kirsten

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by gini

I must be dreaming again....................

I'll pinch you when I see you.....:rolleyes:

[ramanth]

I plan on donating soon. I hate bills.

[lovemyshiba]

Thank you for the informative post Gini.
I had planned on donating through the Red Cross, but I do see other options now.

[Barbara]

I don't think it is the right situation to think about whether Western people are stingy or not or whether muslims should give money to muslims. (And certainly let's not talk about the Indonesian or even Thai government.)

90% of us here at Pet Talk are incredibly rich compared with the people who lost their families and their living in the flooded areas. They have been very hard working people and considered it as a luck to have the tourists- a very important business over there.

Now it will take time until tourism can be revived and the people who live there have lost anything they had - and even the means with which they could earn their living.

A story from Bali: I asked a driver whether his car belonged to him. No he said, the car belonged to his three cousins. After school, he had started helping them by washing the car and learning to repair it. Then his elder sister approached him and said: "You cannot continue like this, you need a better education. I'll pay for your driving licence and then you can be a driver and not just a handy boy." So she did and her brother climbed the next step on the ladder. Now it is his turn to pay for the education of his younger brother. This is a standard story and in many of these countries the chain is now terribly broken.

Whoever has not planned to donate: Please consider again. Even a few Dollars or Euros make a difference.

[slick]

I was just watching the 6pm news and they told a story about a resident of Surrey (a community 10 minutes from me) who, between him and his wife, has lost 70 family members from Sri Lanka. Instead of wallowing in his grief, he is collecting medical supplies and will be delivering them next week. Doctors from all over the community are coming through with donations.

Kudos to you sir and my condolences to you.

[jazzzytina]

I donated to Mercy Corps - www.mercycorps.com. 91% of their donations go straight to the cause and not administrative costs. I encourage everyone who can to donate. Even if it's only $5.00.

Peace and blessings to each of you,
Tina

[popcornbird]

Originally posted by RICHARD
I noticed that there is quite a Muslim population in the stricken areas....


I wonder what thier brothers and sisters from the Middle East are donating??

:rolleyes:

Anyone with a heart would donate to these poor people suffering from such a terrible tragedy no matter who they are. I'm positive people from all over the world will donate to this cause, and I'm more than positive that their 'brothers and sisters in the Middle East' are donating too. We're OBLIGED by religion to help people in need, and any true Muslim would go out of their way to help people who are suffering. Why do you always have to come up with some sort of stupid, insensitive thing to say, no matter how horrible the situation? Jeez!!! I would donate to ANYONE suffering from such a tragedy...ANYONE, no matter who they are, no matter what their religion, race, nationality, etc. A human being is a human being, and human suffering is human suffering. Religion and race should NEVER even be an issue to mention when people are suffering. A lot of non-Muslims have suffered from this tragedy as well. My family donated for the tsunami victims. It doesn't matter if that money will help Muslims or a non-Muslims, or both. A human being is a human being, and its important to help people during such tragedies no matter who they are, and no matter who you are. Its a very, very sad situation. I'm SHOCKED that you would even bring such things up during such a tragic time. :( Okay...maybe I'm not shocked. Afterall, you ARE Richard. *sigh*

[binka_nugget]

Yup, already donated! I couldn't afford much but I found a great place to donate to. At my friend's new years party, we had people bring money to donate and all the money would be matched by the company we're giving it to. Even my little brother is donating. :D

[RICHARD]

Its a very, very sad situation. I'm SHOCKED that you would even bring such things up during such a tragic time. :( Okay...maybe I'm not shocked. Afterall, you ARE Richard. *sigh* [/B]

lololol,

Since Jan Egeland is "shaming" the United States, let's get everyone onto the same page here.

You have some of the world's richest people in the Middle East and not a peep from them. How's about donating some oil to power the ships and helicopters that are trying to get supplies into the area??

I was looking around the net for a mention of the Mid Eastern countries and JUST WHAT THEY DONATED and couldn't find squat.

It's probably not POLITICALLY CORRECT to bring that up at a time like this, but I'd be really quiet if I didn't bother to stand up at the plate, like the rest of the world.

I do not see the difference between the U.S. or the U.A.E., Kuwait, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Israel, Lebanon.......

-------------------------------------------

Don't be shocked at me.........direct your ire at Mr Egeland.
I'm just running with HIS idea.

But then again, I can always say I was Miss Quoted.....

Someone would find out I was a guy, eventually....

[Tiah]

Originally posted by popcornbird
:rolleyes: Anyone with a heart would donate to these poor people suffering from such a terrible tragedy no matter who they are.

I haven't donated. I have a heart.

[lynnestankard]

Late getting to this thread.

We donated on December 29th.

I cannot bear the thought that another argument if going to brew up out of this - please everyone - think of the people concerned - NOT the politicians, NOT the countries - just those poor, traumatised people. They need every penny we can give. For no other reason save that of knowing that someone isa suffering and we can help.
I don't care who gives and who doesn't - just so long as the help gets through to them.
I've sat every day and cried at the reports and pictures, I wish I could hop on a plane and go there and do something. Seeing as I can't - I can only give money, that's what I've done.

We are human please can we be humane?

Lynne

[RICHARD]

Stop sending us money, French aid group says
Medecins Sans Frontieres' unusual statement draws criticism
MSNBC staff and news service reports

Updated: 10:41 a.m. ET Jan. 4, 2005PARIS - The medical aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) urged donors on Tuesday to stop sending it money for Asian tsunami victims, saying it had collected enough funds to manage its relief effort there.

In an unusual step, the group said it has enough to finance emergency medical aid projects in Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

In a statement on its U.S. website, MSF urged donors to instead contribute to its general Emergency Relief Fund, "which is enabling our quick response to the current disaster in South Asia as well as humanitarian needs in war-torn Darfur, Sudan, and elsewhere in the over 70 countries where MSF is working around the world."

In Europe, the group's branches in France and Germany said they had already raised 40 million euros ($54.4 million) and 20 million euros, respectively.

Undercutting efforts?
The decision surprised other aid groups and drew criticism that it could undercut an unprecedented wave of private giving to provide relief to the region devastated by the Dec. 26 tsunami which has killed at least 140,000 people.

“It’s the first time we are led to take this kind of decision,” MSF Director General Pierre Salignon said.

“This might seem to run counter to the mood of general mobilization, but it’s a question of honesty toward our donors. We don’t want to continue to lobby the public for projects that are already financed,” he said in a statement.

A spokesman for MSF’s German branch, Aerzte Ohne Grenzen, said it had adopted the same policy.

“What shocks me is that you are taking the risk of pulling the carpet under the feet of other aid organizations. Many groups still need more money,” said Jean-Christope Rufin, head of the French aid group Action Contre la Faim (Action against Hunger).

“It’s a bit irresponsible. We’re all in the same boat in humanitarian aid,” Rufin told France 2 television.

'Just the beginning' for other aid groups
Some German agencies said they had no plans to follow suit and privately several said they were shocked by MSF’s decision.

“MSF mainly provides emergency aid, whereas UNICEF stays on. We build schools, carry out vaccination programs and so on. For us this is just the beginning and that’s why we still need donations,” said Astrid Prange of UNICEF Germany, which has received more than 10 million euros in pledges.

“Our experience is -- and our feeling is -- that people want to give to this or nothing. It’s not that they want to give in general,” said Oxfam Germany director Paul Bendix.

Some German aid agencies attributed MSF’s move to its focus on providing short term aid, which is treated differently for tax purposes under German law on charitable donations than long-term development assistance.

A spokesman for the German Protestant church charity Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe, which has also received 10 million euros in pledges, said most German charities had been careful to broadly frame their aid requests so that they were not legally tied to providing specific assistance in one country.

MSF in France said it was committed to use money donated for South Asia only there and not for other crises.

“If a person calls us to make a donation, we will tell them that these programs are already financed and that they can make a donation for a different crisis,” a MSF spokeswoman said.

Reuters contributed to this report.