Katrina: How to donate resources?

[Your Old Dog]

Anybody know if there is a way to donate weird resources to the effort.

Example: I have three bedrooms available and an amateur machine shop with barn. We would be a decent fit for a white family with 2 children about 8-13 years old and a dad who might be enterprising enough to machine products for eBaying for extra income. We also have small projects around our home that a couple of 60yr olds are having trouble getting done. In other words, room and board for someone trying to get back on their feet and enough easy chores to make'em feel it ain't all charity.

How the hell would you put word out of the availability of our resource? This would be a bit of a struggle but easier with a cultural fit in our community.

If anyone knows of any website where this type thing can be listed please let me know. All I can find is cash donation places.

[Alistair Hosie]

Why would they have to be white???Alistair

[webbch]

YOD,

You're far more generous than I. Offering to let people live in your house is one thing, but allowing them to use your shop equipment? That is true generosity :-)

Chad

[mochinist]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Alistair Hosie:
Why would they have to be white???Alistair</font>

The blacks scare whitey.

[3 Phase Lightbulb]

I'm sure all of you RC/Model Airplane AMA members have already gotten this, but I thougt it was interesting for others to see:


AMA Members Helping Members

As the tragic events along the Gulf Coast unfold,
it has become painfully apparent that the number
of refugees from Hurricane Katrina is enormous.
It is not unreasonable to estimate that there
will be half a million or more homeless Americans
for many months to come.

Among them, unfortunately, are an unknown number
of AMA members. Based on the information at hand,
we at AMA estimate that as many as 1,500 members
could be in dire need of help. These are areas in
which the U.S. Postal Service has suspended
service because its facilities have been severely
damaged or even obliterated by the storm. While
many Federal and State agencies are doing all
that they can, the magnitude of this disaster
means that we all need to do our part.

AMA is establishing a program to try to help
those members in need by matching them with
someone who can help. If youre in a position to
provide temporary shelter, assist with
transportation needs, or just help a fellow
modeler find his or her way back to a normal
life, call our toll-free Hurricane Katrina
Modeler Assistance Hotline at (866) 286-3302.
Our staff will take your name and some key
information and try to match you with someone
in need.

Many of us have an extra room, perhaps a spare
car, or some other piece of equipment thats
sitting around and could be put to good use
during this time of unbelievable tragedy. I have
volunteered space in my own home to assist this
effort and I hope many of you will consider
doing the same.

You can also register by going directly to AMAs
Web site at
http://www.modelaircraft.org/katrina/?section=register
and completing a simple form. Thats all it takes.
Its only a simple telephone call or Web site
registration, yet that simple act can have a
dramatic impact on someones life during this
critical period.

Aeromodelers are a brotherhood, and many of our
brothers need your help. Lets all pitch in and
help these people who have suffered an
unbelievable loss get back on their feet as
quickly as possible. Its the right thing to do
and it is something we can all do to aid the
recovery process.

If you are a member who has been displaced by
this disaster, or know a member who is in need
of this type of help, you can use the same
toll-free number to request help. AMA and your
fellow members are standing by, anxious, and
willing to help.

Remember(866) 286-3302 or use our Web site at
http://www.modelaircraft.org/katrina/?section=register
to volunteer assistance.

If you happen to be reading this and you need help,
you can go to our Web site at
http://www.modelaircraft.org/katrina/?section=request
to make your request.

Dave Brown
AMA President

[lynnl]

I could see that coming.

Alistair, I can understand your question, but your's is a different world. I don't know how much CNN or other such TV coverage you see over there.
But it becomes immediately obvious when viewing the TV coverage of the chaos and looting, that's said to be rampant down there, that it's primarily (almost totally) confined to the non-white sector. I keep looking for a white face in those crowds and haven't seen one yet, other than what appear to be police or some other such authority figure.

Now, before all the howls of protest set in, I, and any reasonable person will, realize that within that group of people it's only a small minority that are commiting the acts of violence and looting. I also realize that in other areas not in camera coverage there are probably some whites looting as well. But if it were rampant you can bet CNN would be johnny-on-the-spot to report it. This is sad, but it is reality nevertheless.

So..., it's only reasonable one would want to be somewhat selective in taking in an unknown family. It's a form of profiling, ...something we all do subconciously all our lives, and it serves us well. Those who don't pick their friends and close relationships judiciously often live (or, in extreme cases, die) to regret it.

But back to the topic, I agree YOD, I'm here in Nth Ala with three extra bedrooms and I'd be extremely happy to take in some needy family. I think almost all of us feel a keen sense of 'need' to provide help in times like this. Call it spiritual, or compassion, or whatever. It does us great psychological good when we can help. We just feel better about ourselves.

Surely this idea has ocurred to some of the relief agency people. I can't understand why they don't set up some sort of placement services to faciltate such as this.

If any of you know of a displaced family or couple from the Mobile, or S. MS or LA area needing a place to stay, contact me. As I said, I'd feel good about helping.

[KENZ]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Your Old Dog:
Anybody know if there is a way to donate weird resources to the effort.

Example: I have three bedrooms available and an amateur machine shop with barn. We would be a decent fit for a white family with 2 children about 8-13 years old and a dad who might be enterprising enough to machine products for eBaying for extra income. We also have small projects around our home that a couple of 60yr olds are having trouble getting done. In other words, room and board for someone trying to get back on their feet and enough easy chores to make'em feel it ain't all charity.

How the hell would you put word out of the availability of our resource? This would be a bit of a struggle but easier with a cultural fit in our community.

If anyone knows of any website where this type thing can be listed please let me know. All I can find is cash donation places.</font>

Hey YOD,

I saw a blip on the news late last night about somebody that did what you want to do. A young couple in Louisiana had just bought a house 2 days before the storm and hadn't really even gotten move in yet. They took in a whole family. It was pretty dang nice to see something positive on the tube for once.

I think the couple contacted the the local news in their area to let them know what they wanted to do.

[mochinist]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by lynnl:
I could see that coming.

Alistair, I can understand your question, but your's is a different world. I don't know how much CNN or other such TV coverage you see over there.
But it becomes immediately obvious when viewing the TV coverage of the chaos and looting, that's said to be rampant down there, that it's primarily (almost totally) confined to the non-white sector. I keep looking for a white face in those crowds and haven't seen one yet, other than what appear to be police or some other such authority figure.

Now, before all the howls of protest set in, I, and any reasonable person will, realize that within that group of people it's only a small minority that are commiting the acts of violence and looting. I also realize that in other areas not in camera coverage there are probably some whites looting as well. But if it were rampant you can bet CNN would be johnny-on-the-spot to report it. This is sad, but it is reality nevertheless.

So..., it's only reasonable one would want to be somewhat selective in taking in an unknown family. It's a form of profiling, ...something we all do subconciously all our lives, and it serves us well. Those who don't pick their friends and close relationships judiciously often live (or, in extreme cases, die) to regret it.</font>

Black people loot, white people find

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/08/30...e_loot_wh.html
two similar news photos that show flood victims in New Orleans wading in chest-deep water. In each, a person appears to be dragging a bag or box or two of food or beverages.

The images were shot by different photographers, and captioned by different photo wire services. The Associated Press caption accompanying the image with a black person says he's just finished "looting" a grocery store. The AFP/Getty Images caption describes lighter skinned people "finding" bread and soda from a grocery store. No stores are open to sell these goods.

Perhaps there's more factual substantiation behind each copywriter's choice of words than we know. But to some, the difference in tone suggests racial bias, implicit or otherwise.

[Your Old Dog]

I suspected the question would come up. This is the best way I can answer it, I don't care if you agree with it or not but it's my answer just the same.

These folks, black and white, have been thru hell. I live in the middle of farm country. That means our schools have children of farmers in them. To the best of my knowledge there are no black farmers in my area. I don't want the added strain of not only living together for God knows how long but also dealing with kids coming home from school telling stories we can't deal with given everything else we're dealing with. The gas station down the road hired a young black girl to help at the register. She lasted about a week. She received a chilled responce from the area. This is a white conservative neighborhood with human frailities not unlike the black liberal neighborhoods in the city. To make this work I'll have to rely on some help from the locals such as jobs.

This is our home, not a proving ground for social science. My guess is the blacks in our area are just as good as we and will be making their own offers. I hope any who take us up on this offer are good folks and not racist. This is not a racist household. My Mother was Puerto Rican and my Father was Scotch. That's my pedigree to make this request.

[This message has been edited by Your Old Dog (edited 09-03-2005).]

[3 Phase Lightbulb]

Regardless of skin color, I consider someone looting if they take something from the store that they normally could not afford, vs. someone taking something from a store that could/would pay for it, but obviously nobody is there to take their money.

IMO, When you need something and there is no way to get it becides taking it, you have to just take it and figure out a way to pay for it later.

-Adrian