Architects for Humanity:
link

Just gave mine through AFH. Thanks for making this thread, Mystery.

Remember even a little bit helps if a lot of people do it.

this is so reassuring. the attitude where i live is promoting more interest in the rise in gas prices than raising $ for the relief effort. its so sad. thanks for sustaining awareness.
on a more positive note, ive been hearing of some companies matching donations. (ok, not any architecture firms) but its always a good question to ask.

in terms of volunteering, the red cross has opened immediate disaster training opportunities for katrina volunteers. training is happening through this week i believe, followed by two to three weeks of service in the south. this to find more regional info.

I'm one of the few who decided not to cancel his vacation plans for this
weekend & am glad I didn't. Gas is definitely higher, but it was worth the trip - not many people on the coast. And the best thing, the bar on the ocean here is making relief contibutions that matches patrons' bar tabs. Another restaurant is doing something similar & I keep seeing lots of spirit that helps you not lose faith in our nation's willingness to help. Although, here, on the east coast of FLA, they're still recovering from someserious damage of their own, so they understand hurricane devastation a little better than most of us.
Makes my guilt a bit easier to down, along w/ a pitcher or two.

Does anyone know about displaced hurricane victims arriving in California and other states outside of Texas? I thought I heard something this morning on KPFA about this, but I didn't catch all of it.

I hear that there are certain hospitals/clinics in Texas that need help from language translators (bc there are a large number of immigrant survivors), but I haven't found out a way to contact them either.

mintcar, try calling the local Red Cross and asking them how you can help.

this is a joke, if you actually cared about helping PEOPLE, you'd give your money to reputable charities in places with poverty and problems that completely overshadow Katrina, such as Africa, $100 somewhere else will do much more than it will in New Orleans. But most people want to help Americans, not people. Don't only donate when there is a big news story, people are dying everyday all around the world and it doesn't cost much to save them, make it a regular part of your paycheck if you actually care, don't just pretend to be charitable when something bad happens in your backyard

I'm confused... americans aren't people?

You're so right, Kai,,,I'm calling the Red Cross back to get a refund. Another useful comment.

BTW, Kai. Please let us know who you are volunteering & donating to year-round so that we can all be just like you.

Yeah, I was confused too, I thought the Red Cross WAS a reputable organization, until I read Kai's post, which also clarified that Americans are not actually people. I think I'll call 'em up for a refund too, good suggestion MysteryMan.

One of the biggest problems caused by the hurricane was that Americans weren't helping eachother enough - or at least quickly enough. The government (local - state - federal) was harshly and justly criticized for this by the international community as they watched us deal with our own disaster. Additionally, we as a country are continually criticized for our supposed unwanted involvement in a myriad of foreign affairs - when we have plenty of problems on our own homefront that we are not tending to.

As far as making donating a regular practice - we all do what we can. Most people here aren't paid enough to be able to make huge contributions, or to contribute regularly. How dare you chastise anyone who ever gives to any charity.

Even in the form of working overtime, believe it or not. A lot of us put in overtime to make the things that we build as thoughtful as possible - because we take pride in our work - often, our only compensation being the positive effect our efforts will hopefully have on people in a day-to-day sense. Yes, we realise this is not helpful to our profession but we do it because in the longview, we are aware of the long-term impact that our everyday (and night) decisions have on the built environment.

Kai, your slant on benevolence has no place here. If you are an american citizen or are living in america, my advice to you is to leave and don't look back. We'll all be happier that way.

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As far as offices matching donations - I am very proud to say that Richard Meier & Partners NYC is matching the donations made by its employees to the victims of hurricane Katrina.

Well, before you hang Kai at the stake...
It is interesting to note the outrage of most people over this incident compared to the indifference and ambivilance most people feel towards say Sudan. And while I agree that we (the people) should help out, where's the twenty four hour coverage on similiar situations in the world, where's the outrage? And what happens to those people when this stops being frontpage news?

By the way Kai, the red cross doesn't just help americans you know. If you click that link you'll see it's a multinational org. doing stuff all over the globe. As for being reputable, I always thought they were but maybe you should ask cameron as he has a bit more experience in that area.

I didn't say that the red cross was not reputable, if I implied that it was a mistake. Also, I didn't mean to infer that americans are not people, only that you can help MORE people with the same amount of money if its directed to different places, again I'm sorry if that was unclear, and yes I am american.

All I meant, by the statement, is that you can do more good with less by donating differently, its hard to argue that.

Hard indeed, yes let's make people feel bad for donating. I had way more respect for you after your first posting, at least have the guts to stand behind what you write. honestly, I don't get the whole donating thing, it's so unamerican. I wish there were advertisements stating that if you don't donate you will be doomed to the eternal flames of damnation. Now that would be american.