My original plan for this post was a lamentation of our luck, or unluck if you will, with kitchen drains/garbage disposals. We've only lived in two houses, and in both we've had annoying backups due to clogs somewhere in the pipes under the kitchen sink resulting in (minor) gunky flooding. However, the earthquake in Haiti has made me thankful that I even have a pipe, or kitchen, or even house to complain about, as these things tend to do for those of us who are so far removed from anything so horrendous.
So instead, this post is about the American Red Cross, which has been featured prominently in the earthquake newscasts. Until Dan was deployed to Iraq in 2003, I had always thought of the Red Cross as an organization that took my donated blood but to which I neither had nor would have any real connection. However, two and a half months after Dan left, he called me (which was no small feat, as he was basically in the middle of the desert using bottled water for showering and a plastic bag-lined box for a toilet) to say that he'd received a letter from his parents saying his dad's heart tests were not good. I was surprised, of course, because here I was within a quick and inexpensive phone call from them and hadn't heard anything. Apparently, they were trying to downplay it to Dan so he wouldn't worry, but he figured it out and asked that I call the Red Cross and have him sent home. I didn't even know they did that sort of thing, but I hung up, called the local number, and a lovely lady took all my information about the situation quickly and efficiently. Long story short, within four days Dan was home. Sand caked behind his ears and only a backpack on his back, but there he was at the Fayetteville Airport. And I will be forever grateful to the Red Cross for that.
I don't know anything about the business side of the Red Cross - how much money goes to overhead or whatever - and I'm not saying anyone should or shouldn't donate to them or any other organization. I am saying that, in our situation, they showed how a relief organization should work. And from my privileged corner of the world, I'm saying Thanks.
Did you know that our cousin Diane is a director at the Red Cross in Michigan? I don't know her well, but she sent some very helpful notes to my niece when she was looking into working for a disaster relief type of organization.
ReplyDeleteWe had a similar story with the Red Cross when my Dad died. My brother-in-law was unreachable by us, but the Red Cross found him and he and my sister and family were able to drive from Kansas to the hospital in Michgan to say goodbye.