Red Cross Assists Hangar Strike / Tornado

[Mister Mystery Man]

Ever ask why you should do ANYTHING to assist the Red Cross? Here's another story... I've heard hundreds of them and have several personal ones myself.

Men in Korea being SOLD coffee on the front lines....

People in disaster areas being SOLD ice water.....

A guy in my unit that received money from the Red Cross for a plane ticket to go home to see his mother before she died... and then they garnished his pay to recover the money with interest.... etc., etc.

Yep, you got it! I'd never offer my assistance or my radio station to any idiot with a Red Cross uniform and would gladly donate money to any organization that would help put them out of business.

http://nordonews.leebottom.com/2012/...inds-came.html

Tornado Alley in Indiana

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

I would like to learn more... this is what snopes says about some of it:
http://www.snopes.com/medical/emergent/redcross.asp

RC's own site addresses these topics and others...seems pretty factual:
http://www.redcross.org/portal/site...nnel=477859f392ce8110VgnVCM10000030f3870aRCRD

 

[denverpilot]

I haven't seen Red Cross selling stuff yet, but I did once have to chase the SATERN folks from the Salvation Army off an Amateur Radio repeater system because they were passing traffic about how many breakfast burritos to bring to a long-term wildfire area to sell to firefighters. And how many they had sold.

Appreciated their work, but Amateur can't be used for pecuniary interests (business) so they needed to take that traffic to a cell phone or commercial band radio. It's a licensing issue for the system operator.

So yeah, I've heard and seen "emergency support" organizations who have a captive audience selling stuff. They have access to the scenes sometimes when say, a roach coach operator or foodstuffs vendor wouldn't. Sometimes thinly veiled with "free but donations are strongly suggested".

Not the norm, though.

I've eaten many a Red Cross sandwich and bottle of Gatorade sitting in the Communications van/trailer/hut. Much appreciated too, since it's often the first food you've seen in 12 hours if you're busy. Nobody ever remembers the Comm guys. And we forget to eat.

We did learn to start stocking coffee and a way to make it in the Comm Van years ago when we still had one. One can do a full day or night's radio/phone work on sugar packets and coffee pretty easily.