So im back, got hit by the tornado

[Jesseda]

hey friends I am back online, my house as hit by the tornado, i lived 2 blocks from plaza towers elementry. My cousin started a fundraiser for me and my family to get back on our feet, if you can please click and read you and help also you will see pictures of what happened, Alarcon family needs your help in Moore, OK | Fundraising for Anything with QuestStart also i was ina story from tulsa Oklahoma?s wind-torn pain | Bright Journeys

[kevinpate]

Sorry you were in the thick of it, but definitely .... Welcome back!

[okcboomer]

Curious as to why the Red Cross did not or will not help. Did you have insurance?

[bille]

Curious as to why the Red Cross did not or will not help. Did you have insurance?

Are you insinuating that those with insurance shouldn't be receiving help from the donations?

[BBatesokc]

Are you insinuating that those with insurance shouldn't be receiving help from the donations?

Two things....

1. Often insurance (or the lack thereof in this case) is a qualifier or disqualified for aid from some organizations (like FEMA). So, don't necessarily take it that the poster was implying anything else.

2. Its a valid question. I for one have insurance and was effected by the May 3rd tornado years ago. I couldn't have imagined taking aid from the Red Cross's coffers because I was fully insured and received money immediately from my insurance provider.

[zookeeper]

So sorry, Jessie. I'm glad you checked in. I read the story on Ms. Bright's blog and it was nice to put a face with the name. Good luck to you and your family!

[PennyQuilts]

That's so hard - sorry the house was hit but glad you are okay.
Re the Red Cross - the first day, one of my girls who lives in NYC sent three big care packages because she could send them to me to deliver. A lot of people in NYC had approached her to ask how they could help and she told them to donate to local (Oklahoma) relief efforts. The reason she didn't suggest the Red Cross was due to the perceived very poor response to Superstorm Sandy. New Yorkers have been very upset with the Red Cross in relation to that storm.

[soonerguru]

That's so hard - sorry the house was hit but glad you are okay.
Re the Red Cross - the first day, one of my girls who lives in NYC sent three big care packages because she could send them to me to deliver. A lot of people in NYC had approached her to ask how they could help and she told them to donate to local (Oklahoma) relief efforts. The reason she didn't suggest the Red Cross was due to the perceived very poor response to Superstorm Sandy. New Yorkers have been very upset with the Red Cross in relation to that storm.

Red Cross was driving around the disaster area today offering first aid kits?!?!?!?! Seriously unhelpful. They do some things well but they will not be around for the long term.

[kelroy55]

Welcome back

[Jesseda]

Welcome back

yes i do have insurance along with a lot of others whose home were gone. i spent the whole morning at their marc center today at westmoore high. They did give me something a visa card for gas and enough to buy storage bins to store my things i was able to salvage, then they told me I have 14 days to use the funds on the card for gas and storage bins only and that they will montor my usage of this card, then there was a pause and the red cross worker said. ( dont use this card on cigarettes and alcohol) um i felt like i wasa bum on the street corner, first i dont even drink or smoke. wow red cross sure knows how to make someone feel good after loosing everything.

[soonerguru]

yes i do have insurance along with a lot of others whose home were gone. i spent the whole morning at their marc center today at westmoore high. They did give me something a visa card for gas and enough to buy storage bins to store my things i was able to salvage, then they told me I have 14 days to use the funds on the card for gas and storage bins only and that they will montor my usage of this card, then there was a pause and the red cross worker said. ( dont use this card on cigarettes and alcohol) um i felt like i wasa bum on the street corner, first i dont even drink or smoke. wow red cross sure knows how to make someone feel good after loosing everything.

I dealt with them after the bombing. They were so rude. Some of the people who work for them seemed jaded and resentful toward the bombing victims. By contrast, the people from FEMA were friendly and professional.

Red Cross will only use a fraction of the money they've raised in Moore; the rest will go to their general fund.

[okcboomer]

I dealt with them after the bombing. They were so rude. Some of the people who work for them seemed jaded and resentful toward the bombing victims. By contrast, the people from FEMA were friendly and professional.

Red Cross will only use a fraction of the money they've raised in Moore; the rest will go to their general fund.

This is the main reason I cringe when I see all the money raised after one disaster. There are people needing help everyday, 24/7, all over the nation, yet many are only willing to give when there is a major disastor to a particular area.

[okcboomer]

yes i do have insurance along with a lot of others whose home were gone. i spent the whole morning at their marc center today at westmoore high. They did give me something a visa card for gas and enough to buy storage bins to store my things i was able to salvage, then they told me I have 14 days to use the funds on the card for gas and storage bins only and that they will montor my usage of this card, then there was a pause and the red cross worker said. ( dont use this card on cigarettes and alcohol) um i felt like i wasa bum on the street corner, first i dont even drink or smoke. wow red cross sure knows how to make someone feel good after loosing everything.

They don't know you from Adam. You could be the biggest chain smoking drinker in Oklahoma for all they know. I don't want my donations going for cigs and beer, so I'm glad they keep track of that. Why you would be offended is beyond me. What exactly do you want from them?

[soonerguru]

They don't know you from Adam. You could be the biggest chain smoking drinker in Oklahoma for all they know. I don't want my donations going for cigs and beer, so I'm glad they keep track of that. Why you would be offended is beyond me. What exactly do you want from them?

Compassion would be nice.

[Jesseda]

Compassion would be nice.

okboomer I pray that you are never in my situation, loosing your home and all that was in it and go into red cross and they make you feel even more homeless. I guess you have to experience what i have been through to understand. RED cross got 30 plus million alone for this disaster for the ones who lost homes you are asking me what I wanted from this um people donated to help me and my neighbors not the other way around, If its donated to the victims then why arent the people getting what was donated to them. And yes soonerguru, i would think since red cross banked millions of of this disaster that some compassion would have been nice instead of being treated like some bum on the street corner, lol most of these bums in south okc fold their sign up and get back in their car and go home at the end of the day which is a heck of lot more then what I have right now

[seaofchange]

yes i do have insurance along with a lot of others whose home were gone. i spent the whole morning at their marc center today at westmoore high. They did give me something a visa card for gas and enough to buy storage bins to store my things i was able to salvage, then they told me I have 14 days to use the funds on the card for gas and storage bins only and that they will montor my usage of this card, then there was a pause and the red cross worker said. ( dont use this card on cigarettes and alcohol) um i felt like i wasa bum on the street corner, first i dont even drink or smoke. wow red cross sure knows how to make someone feel good after loosing everything.

You have 120 days from the date of the ARC card issue (when your funds were first available). You can go straight to a chase branch and withdraw the money from the card, since they are chase cards. Both my friend and I did this today.

[Fantastic]

Oh, man... Jesseda, I sorry to hear you were hit! My boss and I got into that neighborhood last Wednesday and the devistation was beyond words! We went down there to pass out water and energy drinks (the energy drinks were my idea because I heard on the radio how people were asking for them).

We are in the Air National Guard, and we were told not to go there because they had "more help than they could use," but I had seen some of the damage from I-44 (I went to Newcastle Casino the day after to get a free T-shirt with my RedHawks ticket, selfish, I know)... Told the boss what I saw the next day. He's from Denver and had never seen anything like it, but I was here in '99 and remembered that tornado. So, I explained to him what I saw both years and he asked if I would drive down the Interstate with him, I said "sure." After seeing just a small sampling of the destruction just to the east of I-44 and 149th we were both compelled to get some water and energy drinks, load them in the back of the truck, and we worked our way from Newcastle to Moore passing them out.

Even though we were not authorized to be down there, no one questioned us, and everyone we came to were appreciative of what we were doing.

The point is... we are a community... and though that community is fairly large (1.3 or so million people) we ALL care. Jess, it breaks my heart to know that this happend, but I am happy that you and your family are safe.

[Jesseda]

Oh, man... Jesseda, I sorry to hear you were hit! My boss and I got into that neighborhood last Wednesday and the devistation was beyond words! We went down there to pass out water and energy drinks (the energy drinks were my idea because I heard on the radio how people were asking for them).

We are in the Air National Guard, and we were told not to go there because they had "more help than they could use," but I had seen some of the damage from I-44 (I went to Newcastle Casino the day after to get a free T-shirt with my RedHawks ticket, selfish, I know)... Told the boss what I saw the next day. He's from Denver and had never seen anything like it, but I was here in '99 and remembered that tornado. So, I explained to him what I saw both years and he asked if I would drive down the Interstate with him, I said "sure." After seeing just a small sampling of the destruction just to the east of I-44 and 149th we were both compelled to get some water and energy drinks, load them in the back of the truck, and we worked our way from Newcastle to Moore passing them out.

Even though we were not authorized to be down there, no one questioned us, and everyone we came to were appreciative of what we were doing.

The point is... we are a community... and though that community is fairly large (1.3 or so million people) we ALL care. Jess, it breaks my heart to know that this happend, but I am happy that you and your family are safe.

Thank you for doing that, you dont know how much water me and my wife drank, we worked for 4 days straight trying to salvage items and clear some stuff up. It was so crazy, helicopeters over head, sirens, it really felt like a war zone. To all the business like pizza hut chicken express, tyson foods, and to the many people just showing up to hand out water and drinks, thank you

[jerrywall]

Unfortunately, it's more a reflection of past behavior and abuses of the debit card programs, than it is of the Red Cross. There's a real logistical nightmare in distributing such a significant amount of money and helping out a large number of people without it being abused. It's a shame that you get affected by the few bad apples.

snopes.com: Debit Card Abuse

[jerrywall]

Do you expect different from the first person on this board to (predictably and repeatedly) politicize this disaster?

[okcboomer]

Do you expect different from the first person on this board to (predictably and repeatedly) politicize this disaster?

Calling out our state leaders' hypocrisy hits way too close to home for the right. It doesn't matter if it's a day after a disaster, a month, a year........ those on the right will never want to acknowledge it.

[Jesseda]

and I gave you a answer way back in the start but you kept it going.

[Questor]

This thread is unbelievable. There really are some rotten, horrible, thoughtless people in this world.

[s00nr1]

Ditto. Very sad.

This thread is unbelievable. There really are some rotten, horrible, thoughtless people in this world.

[AAC2005]

Um...kind of belated - "welcome back"!

(Kinda glad I didn't post my experiences with the tornadoes)