Hurricane Katrina / Red Cross Help Centers / 95% BS Claims

[POSXJGuy]

My wife's aunt worked at a Red Cross aid facility in San Francisco right after the hurricane and she said that 95% of cases that came through the door were fraudulent.

She said that word got around fast about the ATM cards for free cash and no ID was required because the Red Cross thought that would be "too traumatic" to ask for from the "victims"

They had no computers to track names and faces and some folks were processed more than once and got free cash.

Many of the folks came in and were offered food and declined only wanting money. Most were tracked to be from Oakland and all had a sob story about how they got there and what they lost. When they were confronted they said that someone had come to SF and been processed , went back to Oakland and told everyone in their housing complex so they all funneled accross the bridge and tried to get this for themselves. They even got angry when confronted like they were doing nothing wrong.

The day after these folks were processed, many of them came back to try and get seconds of atm cards.

After hearing of this it really makes me sad to see how we are in a place surrounded by technology and here is the Red Cross / FEMA unable to even keep track of who and what has been processed? Not one stinkin computer around with Excel to use for this at all and a box of atm cards sittin waiting to be picked through for free cash.

Pure Blasphemy.

I should have gone as well and got me one of them atm cards. I could use some extra cash but the only difference is i wont go out blowing it on hookers, booze and crack. i'll use it for car parts. I have got to admit, those folks in Oakland are a lot smarter than me. Had I been smart I would have gone and stood in line for the same damn thing....homie.

 

[Glenn B]

Uh, sounds fishy to me. In fact, I smell BS.

I was in charge of the Red Cross relief outreach center for all of Broward County Florida for Hurricane Wilma. It is not as simple as you have been told in most all cases. Cash was not just handed out in the form of cards based on any sob story.

I also worked Rita and Katrina. Things were a little different there, as the scope and scale of the disaster were huge. Damage assessment teams were sent out, and declared areas to either qualify or not by zip code. If you could prove to live in a qualifying zip code, you were eligible. A single person could get ~ $360. Max amount was for a family of 5 at $1500 (going by memmory, my Red Cross stuff is still packed). They had to prove residency (ID, Utility bill, whatever they could get).

Now if her center did not properly qualify people, somebody was in the wrong. A form 901 is filled out for each card issued. Just because a card is *issued* does not mean it would be activated. The data from the 901 is entered in to the computer. If names/addy's match up to a previously issued/activated card, it comes up. The card is then not activated until somebody looks in to the issue. There is a ton of attempted fraud caught this way. I personally saw a ton of it, and their cards were not activated at that point. If they did get away with it, the card was immediately de-activated and it was reported to the authorities. Yes, it is a crime.

The system was not perfect, no doubt. But again, on that size of disaster, everybody did the best they could. Lessons were learned and the system has gotten even better.

This is coming from a guy that was on the ground from October through December.

 

[POSXJGuy]

i completely agree with you, i think that the system they had was goofed up somewhere by someone. i think that maybe there was a little inside job going on and some of those folks were helping themselves to the cards. she said some were stolen from within as well so i figure its best in that case for them not to keep track of it.

also now they are taking cultural awareness classes. people were complaining that there were not enough african americans on the red cross staff in san francisco and that the food did not cater to ethnic minorities. they went to classes to learn to deal with the many people and their needs.

i don't know about you but when it comes to emergency aid i am all for it. if it comes down to who wants what to eat, naan and curry, fried rice and miso pork, down home bbq style and tacos and burritos and gyros, i am sayin that these people have no right to be picky.

damn that food sounds good right about now. i think i'll sign up to work for red cross. i'll take a double order of pork katsu and california rolls to go please.

 

[RichP]

also now they are taking cultural awareness classes. people were complaining that there were not enough african americans on the red cross staff in san francisco and that the food did not cater to ethnic minorities. they went to classes to learn to deal with the many people and their needs.

i don't know about you but when it comes to emergency aid i am all for it. if it comes down to who wants what to eat, naan and curry, fried rice and miso pork, down home bbq style and tacos and burritos and gyros, i am sayin that these people have no right to be picky.

damn that food sounds good right about now. i think i'll sign up to work for red cross. i'll take a double order of pork katsu and california rolls to go please.

Boy, I'd be one unpopullar type, if it was hot meals it'd be right off the standard US Army meal schedule and it was 'to go' it would be MRE's and TFB if you don't like the chili or the steaks packed by cadallic..

 

[Ramsey]

misappropriated funding?

 

[johnlv6]

It was all over the news about women buying $500 purses, shoes, and other $hit with those cards (Atlanta). It's pretty pathetic when you're given money that you need live on and your first though it to buy yourself something pretty.

I donated a small amount towards the storm relief...the stories of the wasted funds (ex. FEMA trailers lying around for months) are enough to make me think twice about doing it again.

 

[Glenn B]

I wonder if some people know FEMA is not the Red Cross? And that FEMA gave each person more money than the Red Cross. And that the Red Cross has nothing to do with FEMA trailers laying around? People seem to blur the lines between the two all too often.

It was all over the news about women buying $500 purses, shoes, and other $hit with those cards (Atlanta). It's pretty pathetic when you're given money that you need live on and your first though it to buy yourself something pretty.

I donated a small amount towards the storm relief...the stories of the wasted funds (ex. FEMA trailers lying around for months) are enough to make me think twice about doing it again.

 

[Flip94ta]

Thats a Good Point.

Also it should be noted that the red cross is wasteful with money. I am a federal employee and every year we are given a catalog with hundreds of charities and how much of their funding reaches the people who need it. The red cross locally and nationally does pretty poorly. Locally its close to 20% that they use for overhead. The gov agency that runs the charity campaign puts the charities on "probation" when their group runs over 20%. If they fail to fix it they remove them from the catalog. I was also suprised that toys for tots has 9% in overhead. I thought that it was run by the marine reserves. ???

I would only donate though smaller organizations like the church groups. Locally the Church of Christ disaster relief folks seem to do really well. The Catholic Church and many others have online donation site.

 

[RichP]

We donate to our local ecumenical network that reaches local people who actually need it. Usually about $2K a year, we also buy bulk staple foods and also generic clothes as we find them on sale at better stores. We also buy kids clothes, mostly winter coats and gloves in various sizes, gee, guess we do more than $2k, the money is usually a check.. then when the network puts out a 'needs' list we keep our eyes open and buy extra at sams.. I know one family that badly needs a car so I'm keeping my eyes open for a bare bones neon or something similar that needs a tad of work but won't eat them out of house and home for gas...

 

[Glenn B]

We donate to our local ecumenical network that reaches local people who actually need it. Usually about $2K a year, we also buy bulk staple foods and also generic clothes as we find them on sale at better stores. We also buy kids clothes, mostly winter coats and gloves in various sizes, gee, guess we do more than $2k, the money is usually a check.. then when the network puts out a 'needs' list we keep our eyes open and buy extra at sams.. I know one family that badly needs a car so I'm keeping my eyes open for a bare bones neon or something similar that needs a tad of work but won't eat them out of house and home for gas...

Good for you Rich. That is good stuff there.

 

[OT]

Sh*t, I hope Val doesn't see that......

I mean, I knew there were people out there, like Rich, I just never knew whom!