PUmatty
Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 16379
Location: Chicago
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 Posted: 09/06/05 1:31 pm ::: Hurrican Relief Info |
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An e-mail I sent, but I thought people here might be interested as well ....
Dear Friends,
Doubtless all of us have been watching the images pouring out of New Orleans and the rest of Mississippi and Louisiana with a combination of sadness, horror, and helplessness. Also doubtless, many are looking for ways to help those affected and plan to make contributions to the relief effort. Unfortunately, many of the organizations who are working to provide relief, such as the Salvation Army and others, are organizations that are very vocal about their discrimination against the nation's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered populations, and some of these organizations do not guarantee that all affected people will be helped by donations made to them. In addition, groups like the Red Cross and United Way provide funds to these discriminatory organizations and can not guarantee that your contribution to this crisis will not go to a group that will focus their efforts in a way to not help ALL of those affected.
The Rainbow Fund is a clearinghouse organization -- similar to the United Way -- that passes on funds only to organizations that demonstrate that they serve all people affected by crisis. This includes both religious and secular organizations, as long as they do not discriminate. In addition, the funds they collect do not go toward relief only toward GLBT victims, but the entire spectrum of the affected contribution. The group, like many others, is also funneling 100 percent of the donations they receive for the hurricane survivors to the survivors -- primarily for food relief -- and none will go toward administrative overhead.
If you choose to donate money to the relief efforts, I would urge you to consider doing so through the Rainbow Fund or another organization that does not discriminate in who they serve. More information can be found at www.rainbowfund.org.
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