Have you ever been or known someone in a disaster who lost everything?
Pele Emerging
2012/08/14 16:51:45
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5 votes
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33% | ||
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4 votes
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27% | ||
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3 votes
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20% | ||
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3 votes
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20% | ||
I just found out this morning that a friend and his wife who live north of where we grew up, lost everything in a wild fire. He and his wife managed to get out and fortunately, saved all their dogs (he raises sled dogs). The feral cats managed to shelter in the pump house, which is the only building standing on his property now. Everything else is burned to the ground.
My experience is that the charity organizations often solicit donations to help in situations like this, but that the money does little to ease the actual suffering of individuals.
My question is this: WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP SPECIFICALLY? Set of a bank account for donations? Hold a silent auction or sale and donate the proceeds? Get donations of specific things which they will need? I feel rather helpless, but I know that moving and working toward a specific goal seems better than sitting back and wringing my hands.
My experience is that the charity organizations often solicit donations to help in situations like this, but that the money does little to ease the actual suffering of individuals.
My question is this: WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP SPECIFICALLY? Set of a bank account for donations? Hold a silent auction or sale and donate the proceeds? Get donations of specific things which they will need? I feel rather helpless, but I know that moving and working toward a specific goal seems better than sitting back and wringing my hands.
Read More: http://www.kirotv.com/news/ap/washington/new-wildf...
Top Opinion
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♥▀Acid Doll▀♥ 2012/10/06 01:11:26Yes, it's happened to me and this is what I needed.
+3had a small little one bedroom house that got hit by a huge storm that knocked a tree right down on the main foundation , knocked the roof in as well. I went and got what money i had and stayed at a hotel with what i could manage to retrive until the clean up was finished, then quickly found an apartment (just lucky they had on vacant)
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- Swan Eshdeh 2012/10/06 20:17:59No, but it happened to someone I know and this is what they needed.
+1a burnt house to my neighborreply -
+1That's sad. Did you help out your neighbor?reply
- Swan Es... Pele Em... 2012/10/07 02:23:05+1no i wasn't there unfortunatelyreply
- timothy.hill.14 2012/10/06 01:53:41No, but it happened to someone I know and this is what they needed.+1Yes, my younger brother lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. He did okay b/c he works for a major underwater construction company and makes very good money.reply
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I had an online friend who lost it all in Katrina. She posted some pics of her apartment and there was nothing, except maybe some dishes, which could be saved.reply
- The River Rat 2012/10/06 01:21:30Yes, it's happened to me and this is what I needed.+1Our house burned to the ground the summer between my freshman and sophmore years in college. Nothing was saved. My mom and I had a suitcase full of clothes because we were out of town for the weekend but my had only the clothes on his back. We needed everything. People were wonderful to us. They gave us everything we needed.reply
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+1I am glad that people came through for you.reply
- The Riv... Pele Em... 2012/10/06 02:44:52+1Did they ever!reply
- Cricket 2012/10/06 01:15:26None of the above+1Horrible! You could try selling your whatnots on eBay.reply
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+1One of our classmates started a fund for him and his wife. They are the kind of people who always do for other people, so it is nice that others are returning the favor.reply
- Lord Emperor Kami Guro Bage... 2012/10/06 01:14:33Yes, it's happened to me and this is what I needed.+1My grandfather happened... We needed/need moneyreply
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Your grandfather?reply
- Lord Em... Pele Em... 2012/10/06 03:01:46+1Yepreply
- ♥▀Acid Doll▀♥ 2012/10/06 01:11:26Yes, it's happened to me and this is what I needed.+3had a small little one bedroom house that got hit by a huge storm that knocked a tree right down on the main foundation , knocked the roof in as well. I went and got what money i had and stayed at a hotel with what i could manage to retrive until the clean up was finished, then quickly found an apartment (just lucky they had on vacant)reply
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+1I'm glad you could at least salvage some of your stuff.reply
- Cricket ♥▀Acid ... 2012/10/06 03:00:43and you were able to walk away from it uninjured!reply
- mikeeonly 2012/08/19 05:53:21No personal experience, but I think this is what you should do.+1I would try to help as much as poosiblereply
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right now, I am in contact with both his sister and with his best friend, so I will be able to help as soon as I know what and how.reply
- kfallslady 2012/08/15 01:46:34No personal experience, but I think this is what you should do.+1alot of prayer.... and wait and see what the needs arereply
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+1Believe me, he and his family, along with those ones whose names I don't know are in my thoughts and prayers. I loved this part of the valley in which I grew up. It was one of the most beautiful spots, and it pains me to think of it in ashes. :(reply
- John Galt jr or Ron/jon 2012/08/14 19:58:51Yes, it's happened to me and this is what I needed.+1My family was flooded in 1972...reply
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I'm sorry. What would be the best help I could give my friends, in your opinion?reply
- John Ga... Pele Em... 2012/08/17 21:47:11+2Cash is cold, but the best way is to ask them what they need...reply
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Right now, it appears they're doing as well as can be expected. His wife's employer is putting them up in a hotel until they can move back to their property. Their coworkers bought them a used travel trailer to live in until they can get something back on their property. His wife's mother is in a nursing home (90 years old), but virtually all of her things are in storage, so his wife said that they may be starting back out with the things she had as she grew up. I'm in contact with my friend's sister, too, so she's also going to keep me posted on what they need. Something like 60 homes have burned so far and the fire still isn't under control. :(reply
- John Ga... Pele Em... 2012/08/18 20:52:41+2Strangely enough, when a person's life is wiped away, often simple things like a collection of old personal photos, with shared memories will help the sting of what was lost along the way, little things do count...reply
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My friends say that when they begin to brood about it, they remind each other that it's really just stuff--that they still have the important things.reply
- Lulu's Mom 2012/08/14 17:16:35No, but it happened to someone I know and this is what they needed.+1A family near where I live lost everything due to a fire. And our community made donations and had a swap meet to raise money for them. The turn out was so good that there was enough money to get them into another home. Then donations included home goods and furniture, so they were able to start a new life.reply
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+2I live about 100 miles from where this happened, but I've known the man since high school. A lot of my friends from high school still live in that area, though, too. I am hoping that we can get together. We had a wildfire several years ago where I live. A lot of people lost houses, etc., but the Red Cross donations solicited to help the local victims went back in their general fund. This left a bad taste in my mouth toward contributing to a specific charity rather than to individuals in need. Thanks for the suggestions.reply
- Lulu's Mom Pele Em... 2012/08/14 17:30:50+1Yeah, the Red Cross didn't do alot for these people either. And you are welcome, I hope things work out for your friends.reply
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+1Sad. In our town they set up this big fund at one of the local banks which was supposed to help the local people. Other than replenishing what they spent on temporary help before the fund was even set up, all of it went back to the national office. People around here were mad!reply
- Lulu's Mom Pele Em... 2012/08/14 18:38:02+1That is one reason that I don't give to charities, because I know they are a bunch of crooks.reply
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+1I am pretty careful about checking out how much goes to the people. If their overhead is higher than what actually goes to help what they're supposedly supporting, I find another.reply
- Lulu's Mom Pele Em... 2012/08/14 21:38:43+1Most only give 10% to help others, and the rest goes in their pockets.reply
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+1There are a lot who, unfortunately, give very little, but this is a matter of public record, so you can find out which ones spend too much on overhead.reply
- Sister Jean 2012/08/14 17:13:02Yes, it's happened to me and this is what I needed.+1firereply
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Did you get the help you needed to start over?reply
- Sister ... Pele Em... 2012/08/14 17:29:46+1it was someone else she died and all was lostreply
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I am so sorry. At least my friends have their lives and those of their pets. They had feral cats on the property they couldn't catch, but they were smart enough to shelter in the pump house, which is the only building which didn't burn and were saved.reply
