Great link...
I remember my Mom saying many times when I was young that when my Father got home from Germany (post WW2 in 1954) he was greeted by the Red Cross who was charging the returning soldiers for coffee, doughnuts, sandwiches and orange juice.
Now, they were mixed in with soldiers who were seeing action in Korea, and everyone was being charged for these food items. I guess the Korean Conflict or efforts to restore War-Torn Germany didn't qualify as WAR-TIME to the Red Cross, so they felt justified to charge for these simple items.
Well, our house would never give to them and after hearing the administrative costs of the Red Cross, I will continue my family tradition by informing all of you of this simple, but true story of an American Soldier with 4 years of service on foreign soil and his wife who lived in Germany for 3 years with him, both who were asked to pay for coffee and doughnuts.
They walked nearly a mile to a coffeeshop which was cheaper than the Red Cross and they enjoyed every drop.
I'll add that the American Red Cross has a very good rating today, with 91.1% of funding going to "Programs" and a 64.11 rating (out of 70) and an administrative cost of only 5.2% - I think this is outstanding in todays world. So, I fairly weighed all the data and toss in personal experiences from LITERALLY 50 years ago and I'll say they have turned full-circle at least statistically. But remember a decade ago when the crap hit the fan about the money made by those at the top of their pyramid, it made Michael Isner at Disney jealous. Glad to see they seem worthy of considaration.
So, this is a timely post - giving to victims of tragic events is a humane and generous choice, but giving to those who best pass the buck on to the people you wish to receive your contributions is WORTH the search. Thanks for the link Leo
Great timing!!
