Question of the Day | 10/28/2009 4:00 am
Do you have evidence that the charities you support are really making a difference?
A friend of wOw’s, Millie McCoy, recently shared one of the most tangible tales of one person making a difference through a charity. Mary Wells, Whoopi Goldberg and Liz Smith tell us if they have evidence that the charities they support have done the same …
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It’s quite frightening to watch and even more frightening to encounter on the streets below as I suspect you know all too well. There are more people than there are beds. And yet no one wants a shelter or an actual housing facility in their neighborhood. I suspect in many cases because we all know how easily we can all become homeless ourselves in this economy. Houston is just a reflection of what is happening in other cities around the country. There are also more people than there are jobs. And that of course leads us to the "politically incorrect" subject of illegal immigrants who for some reason are now referred to as "guest workers" in a country where millions of its citizens are out of work.
The land of opportunity really isn’t any more. It just sounds good and becomes an excuse to blame the homeless for being homeless.
I wish Allen Stanford (the Bernie Madoff of Houston) could see the homeless situation he has to contribute to around the building he built in Houston next door to the Star of Hope’s Family Shelter. He’s incacertated only a few blocks away from here. When I moved here 6 1/2 years ago, the Star of Hope had few people milling around. Now, every day and night there might be as many as 50 men in the parking. During the day, there might be 30 or more women and children along with the men. I say Allen Stanford because it’s men like him, and I say MEN (I’m sure they’ll be a Ponzi woman someday), who makes it so people who can’t contribute as much.
The here in here, there and everywhere in my life is Houston. It is a frightening picture downtown. I use the rail a lot. I see more and more homeless people on the rail. And on the streets. I like to walk, having spent so much time earlier in my life in Manhattan where everyone walks it seems, and no longer walk downtown which I actually used to do. There was a proposed housing facility that one of the downtown management districts "vetoed" which is not the first and won’t be the last. Beyonce had planned one as well and I believe that was "vetoed" as well. Many of these people have to be in a central location in order to be able to work even if day to day and yet everyone would prefer they be "moved" somewhere out in the country. "Out of sight, out of mind." The same is happening in Los Angeles and many other cities. Down and out in Beverly Hills is a reality.
Most of the investors with Stanford will get most of it back. All the depositors already have gotten everything back. The employees, however, are another matter. They are "tainted" and many cannot find other employment. The same thing happened with Enron. There was one former Enron employee who was "profiled" by the media. He was not the only one.
As for the women of financial scandals, we’ve had two. The Countess Petra Capon and her husband who I believe is still on the "wanted list" although she apparently gave the money back and The Toad Queen aka Theresa Rodriguez who is still in prison. She ran a Ponzi scheme in which quite a few of our "social icons" not only were investors but participants. They were forced to give the money back and complained about it. Some were lucky not to have been sent to prison as well.
It’s not good out there. Here, there, and everywhere.
Never heard of Teresa Rodriguez before. I stand corrected. A female Ponzi schemer from 1994. Seems in a few months she was able to swindle people of $80 million. I didn’t live in Houston then. Can’t find anything on Countess Petra Capon. But I’m sure you’re right if you knew about Rodriguez. Guess all I can say is women do it less…how dissappointing.
Well the "queen" and the "countess" of course were at least fun. Wonderful parties, both were always in the gossip and society columns and, well, as one of the gossip columnists liked to say, a good time was had by all. Until all woke up one monring and found all the money was gone. Houston was founded by two con artists, the Allen brothers, who managed to convince quite a few fools that Houston was a tropical paradise. Not sure about paradise back then but it was and is still is tropical in a way. They just left out the part about the 200% humidity and the mosquitoes the size of prehistoric birds. In any case, the set the tone as they say and Houston has managed to produce some of the most amazing, and entertaining, con artists in the country.
I’ve never heard of the Allen brothers being referred to as con artists, although you’re right about the humidity and bugs. Therefore, if someone purchased land in Texas while in New York where the Allen brothers came from, they might not have known about the conditions in Texas. It must have been awful here before air conditioning. Maybe the Allen brothers had them show up in September or October. It doesn’t get bad until May or June. That’s why we have winter Texans.
I’ve actually talked to several of the "oldsters" who remember the days when all they had were ceiling fans and transoms, still to be seen in many of the older houses in the Heights and some other areas, and what were called "sleeping porches" and I suppose, from they said, you got used to it. But it is a shock to someone who isn’t used to it. Most of us weren’t used to it and after Ike hit last year we got a taste of what life was like in the old days. I suppose you got used to it. If you had the ceiling fans and the transoms and the "sleeping porches." Most of us of course had only windows and very little cross-ventilation and were miserable for a week or two. The bright spot is the humidity is actually good for your skin. I have no idea why I always came back here. Masochistic streak I suppose.
I collect coats and do what I can for the local Catholic Charities. They help people regardless of their religion or status. Good people in this area, doing a great job!
I have to take exception to the comments made by Baby Snooks re food banks. I work for a very large food bank and we NEVER charge an agency or individual for food. We have over 200 partner agencies and cover our entire state. Because we are so rural, we do deliver to a very few agencies and we charge a delivery fee so we can keep our trucks on the road. Our administative costs are right at 3%. There are a lot of caring, dedicated individuals here and none of us drive a Mercedes or BMW. Please do not make generalizations about all food banks based on one experience.
Most charge per pound. The average seems to be around 25 cents per pound. An average can of fruits or vegetables is approximately 15 ounces. The same can costs maybe 50 cents at the grocery store. If I buy the can at the grocery store and put it in the little red barrel, it ends up costing 75 cents.
I have to ask how much you charge for a delivery fee. And then ask how many pounds the average delivery is. I am sorry if I offended you. In a way, I intended to. I will continue to tell people to donate food directly to the food pantries.
The reference desk at your public library has a publication that evaluates charities and reveals how their money is spent. There are also on-line ways to check up on "worthy" causes. http://www.charityguide.org/volunteer/charityratings.htm or http://www.charitynavigator.org/
I agree with Liz’s method of donating to local causes, so you really can see the results of their work.
I have seen what the charities can do immediately after a hurricane and the weeks that follow. I survived Rita and Ike, and as soon as the final winds had passed, Red Cross, Catholic Charities, local charities, etc… were on the go with ice, food, water, medical supplies, small toys for traumatized toddlers and etc. (FEMA was eating their dust.) They were just incredible and tireless and never took a break. Those volunteers came from all over the USA and Canada.
After a natural disaster, animal shelters are also overwhelmed and understaffed and underfunded. I drop off bags of cat food, dog food, rabbit food etc. at the shelters. I give to our local food banks as well. I know it goes to a good cause and not for the gas for someone’s BMW. The director of one of the shelters here drives an old Corolla.
I agree with the others who advise to know your charities. I realize a child in Guatemala needs help, but so do those in my own community.
I donate to Citymeals-onWheels, local Catholic Charities, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. I, too, have done my homework, and know that my money is well spent - on persons in need.
Every year the military participates in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). The unit reps hand out the pledge forms along with a thick booklet of all the organizations; the booklet describes the mission of each organization, and the percentage of your dollar that actually reaches the people in need. One of my favorites is Project Orbis, which restores eyesight to people in need worldwide, who have no other recourse. If I were blind and my vision could be restored - I would really want that!
http://www.orbis.org/blindness.aspx?lang=1Orbis International is a testament to what the vision and generosity of a few can accomplish. I have given my time to Orbis and will always support its mission. Eventually there will be a network of actual clinics where ongoing care will be provided. The DC-10 is something to behold. I beheld it when it was "inaugurated" in Houston. It is indeed a flying hospital.
Just the same, we have to take care of our own first. There are many in this country who need an Orbis that simply isn’t there. For those who can, split the checks. Give half to a national or international organization and give the other half to a community organization as well.
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