IPS Helps Hurricane Katrina Victims

[Wazoo]

http://forums.invisionpower.com/index.php?showtopic=186475

Invision Power Services pledges a substantial donation to the American Red Cross to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina

The devastation that Hurricane Katrina has left in her wake throughout Louisiana, Missisippi, Alabama, and the Gulf Coast region, with many people losing their lives and the reports of tens of thousands of families that have been left homeless by the flooding in New Orleans, has touched our hearts.

Invision Power Services will donate 5% of every IPB license purchase (yearly or perpetual) during September to the American Red Cross to help the victims get aid they so desperately need.

For more information on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and to make a donation yourself, please visit:

http://www.redcross.org

Thank you.

[Lking]

Related reading from "The Washington Post"

http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/securityfi...?referrer=email

The same but different

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...?referrer=email

[Wazoo]

Not sure I'd agree with the (directly) "related" ... but thanks for posting the all-too-obvious-and-common-these-days heads-up on the continued lunacy of phishing scams.

[Lking]

Yes, after posting I though about the possibility that it could be inferred that I was relating the Red Cross and their programs and needs with the scum, -scams highlighted by the Post. I was not.

Lets be clear my support for the Red Cross started with their water safety programs when I was a kid (that was so long ago they only taught the dog-paddle), lifeguard and instructor in HS and collage, enough blood to float a boat, etc. With a military career I have had several of the figurative "doughnuts & coffee" to say nothing of the messages when a letter just wasn't good enough and a quick loan when my pay was all f***ed up for the 3rd month in a row. Their list of good works goes on of course, but that should correct any short comings of my first post.

My intent was a cautionary note that not all (others) are what they may seem.

[Wazoo]

Even the IPB Forums, there's a bit of an unbelievable range of 'discussion' points. Everything from 5% not being squat to that there's no guarantee that the money offered up for Katrina victims will actually end up there, due to the Red Cross putting all monies into their one pot and using where it's needed ....

[Lking]

<snip>. to that there's no guarantee that the money offered up for Katrina victims will actually end up there, due to the Red Cross putting all monies into their one pot and using where it's needed ....

32312[/snapback]

Now I'm confused. Are you suggesting that

to make a donation yourself, please visit: http://www.redcross.org

is not a good idea?

[Miss Betsy]

The American Red Cross is extremely scrupulous about all donations. I know because I am a Red Cross volunteer. Two people are to be present when any money comes in to record it; copies of donations are made; intent is strictly followed. Every Chapter has to report weekly on donations made locally for a National Disaster - none of the money is kept for local use except what expenses the local Chapter incurs in handling the money - in our Chapter that is minimal since we are very small and most of the work is done by volunteers. I have spent several hours this week logging donations, answering phones, and reporting to National.

However, you must designate what your donation is to be used for. You can designate that it be used only for relief efforts in a particular state: LA, MS, TX, or a number of other states affected by Katrina. Or you can designate it to be used for the 2005 Hurricane season. In that case the ARC uses it wherever in the several states that relief efforts are being carried out. It could go to victims of tornados in Georgia spawned by Katrina, but of course, the bulk of it will go to people from New Orleans and Gulfport and Biloxi, etc. If you say, "Disaster Relief", then it will only be used for disaster relief even if it is saved for future disasters.

It is only when there is no designation at all that the money goes into the general pot to pay for utilities, office supplies, training, etc. for staff and volunteers - who, I might point out, are working hard to give support for those in the field and have been preparing over the years by training and recruiting relief workers. Someone has to do all that accounting, plans, coordination! One of the ARC policies is that if you (the volunteer worker) can't help someone, that you know where to refer them to get the help they need. In a major disaster like this, the ARC works very closely with FEMA and other agencies.

The American Red Cross is a huge bureaucracy very like the military. I get very frustrated with some of its policies, but when a disaster happens that the local community can't handle, then volunteers from all over come in with food and trained volunteers who don't have to reinvent the wheel to set up shelters, etc. As soon as possible, they provide for basic needs of clothing as well as shelter and food. They also support rescue and clean up crews with food and water with mobile trucks called ERVs (often driven by a volunteer). They don't accept volunteers unless they have at least minimal training. (for those who have had bad experiences with the Red Cross, just remember that most of them are volunteers - very like the ones that keep this spamcop board going - How many times do you side with the people coming for help here when they complain about the service?)

Bottom Line: If you really want to help the victims of Katrina and other natural disasters, then you will not only donate now to the ARC, but will put a mark in your calendar to send a smaller amount regularly to your local chapter so that the ARC has the resources to train, plan, and respond to disasters happening all the time on a much smaller scale. As you can see, prior planning is essential! There are dozens of ARC shelters scattered across the affected states and nearby housing the last I heard on CNN over 70,000 people. All those people are being fed and given water and will eventually receive other ARC Disaster Services.

So do go to www.redcross.org; call 1-800-HELP NOW, or send a donation to your local Chapter. Every penny will go exactly where you designate it. If they receive enough money to cover this particular disaster, then they will tell you that your donation will go into a more general disaster fund - which, I hope you will think is a good use for your donation.

The ARC responds to emergencies. For long term relief, there may be other agencies like Habitat for Humanity, for instance, that you may want to donate to.

Miss Betsy

[Lking]

Miss Betsy, a rational voice in the wilderness, as always.

[Wazoo]

I'm not sure if it's a 'protected' Forum section or not, but I did take the liberty of inserting Miss Betsy's response into the Topic / Discussion at http://forums.invisionpower.com/index.php?showtopic=186478 ... as a reply to the user making the "one big pot" statement.

EDIT:remainder of content deleted based on Jeff G.'s later post. Thanks.

[Jeff G.]

I'm not sure if it's a 'protected' Forum section or not, but I did take the liberty of inserting Miss Betsy's response into the Topic / Discussion at http://forums.invisionpower.com/index.php?showtopic=186478 ... as a reply to the user making the "one big pot" statement.

In case it is a protected forum and you can't get there, here's a couple of recent posts from owner/staff/users responding to some of the negative posts ...

32337[/snapback]

It's not a 'protected' Forum section - I saw your Reply at http://forums.invisionpower.com/index.php?...dpost&p=1263936.

[Wazoo]

To make it known, from the lead programmer / one of the co-owners of IPB,

Thanks for the info.

http://forums.invisionpower.com/index.php?...dpost&p=1263943

[Farelf]

The phishes are still around, it seems. Pulled this one out of my AT&T "graymail" folder just to report it:

http://www.spamcop.net/sc?id=z810058572z74...a78bb3fc9ffa03z

(sent a manual report to reportphishing[at]antiphishing.org, any others?)

From Macedonia, for Pete's sake. (now just waiting for spam from code AQ to complete the set). Anyway, another bogus donation site (hosted in Germany), if anyone's keeping track - http: //katrina-story.org/redcross/ (Lking's references listed quite a few).