The Disgrace of the American Red Cross

Mississippi has been hit hard by Hurricane Katrina and the American Red Cross is providing shelter, supplies, and meals and doing a great job with that part. Why then I am saying they are a disgrace? Because the financial aid centers and phone center are a disgrace at least to those in Mississippi. I don't know about the situation in Louisiana but I do know about it in Mississippi.

The different financial centers set up by the Red Cross in different cities along the Mississippi Coast are only set up to help between 200-300 people a day. There are only five or six such centers.

For the past ten days, I have been trying to get through to 1-800 number set up by the Red Cross for financial assistance. I have received nothing but busy signals until today. I was overjoyed to hear the phone ringing. That joy soon turned to anger. The message I received was insensitive and frustrating. The message basically said they had too many calls coming in and a few seconds I would hear a busy signal and to hang up and try again. In other words they are hanging up on me and others who are seeking financial assistance due to lack of jobs, the destruction of homes, etc.

I called the Red Cross headquarters and was treated very abrasively and felt like I was being told to get lost. He said they were handling 100,000 calls a day. I responded that I was pretty sure the Red Cross was getting that many calls from people wanting to donate and there didn't seem to be problems with getting the necessary phone operators and telephone lines for that. I asked why they couldn't set up registration on line. He said it would take three times as long to do it that way. Bullshit. He said he couldn't help me and I asked him to get me someone who could. I was given the brush off.

UPDATE: 9/18/05 I am not the only one:

Laura Williams, who said it was the fifth day in a row she had "gotten the runaround," said she'd been dialing the American Red Cross toll-free number for days and all she got was a busy signal.

Getting through takes persistence, but many are doing so.

Winnie Romeril, a spokesperson for the Red Cross, said Saturday afternoon the organization had 700 operators staffing that toll-free number - 1-800-975-7585 - and on Saturday alone, they had taken 12,500 calls. Calls since the number went active reportedly total 321,000.Sun Herald

On Saturday, they are bragging about taking 12,500 calls. Does that mean people that were actually helped or the total number of calls that were received? Does that total include the number of people that got that message that they were overwhelmed by the number of calls and then hung up on? I know one thing, if this had been a federal agency, the news media would be hounding it to death, but since certain government officials can't be blamed, unless you are in the middle of the devestation zone, you won't hear too much about it. I was able to reach FEMA with no problem other than the fact I did not qualify for any help other than Major Disaster Unemployment. You have to go through the Mississippi Unemployment Office to receive that. Nor did I run into any problems contacting the unemployment office even though the phones in Jackson Mississippi can be just as unreliable as the ones on the Coast. So what gives?

The people of the United States of America are so compassionate and want to help. The amount donated to the Red Cross was unprecedented. Think about it. The Red Cross has released this 800 number since the first week of the storm. Since then, they have repeatedly said they would be getting more phone lines and operators. So 20 days after Katrina hit, they are still promising more phone lines and operators? Can you imagine what it must feel like for someone who has lost their home, their job, and with just the clothes on their back, hearing that message from the Red Cross?

I know the number of people who need help is staggering. But the message that I got yesterday was so disheartening and then to be hung up on was infuriating. At least FEMA tells you nicely what your wait time will be and then gives you the options of holding or hanging up and trying again later. I hate to say it, but the Federal government and the Mississippi state government has been a lot more compassionate than the Red Cross in this matter.