a message from my friend Cathy... please forward

Hi everyone,

Many of you have called or emailed and asked what you can do to help. I greatly appreciate your concern and prayers. Here is something you can do to help. Please take a few minutes and make a donation to the American Red Cross. Even if it is only $5. I have just spent the last 3 days in Galveston down in the trenches with people who have lost everything and the American Red Cross is the only ones that seem to be offering any real assistance or aid to anyone. I have heard that the Red Cross is millions of dollars in the red so they desperately need donatiions and even this doesn't stop them. They are everywhere feeding people, providing shelters and helping search for missing loved ones. FEMA is the biggest joke I have ever seen. I met a young mother with 2 small children that had no where to go, their home was completely destroyed. She had no money and FEMA told her they couldn't help her. The Red Cross stepped up and told her they would find her a place somewhere, some way. The American Red Cross workers are staying in small travel trailers and some even in tents. FEMA employees are staying in the best hotels and condos availabe. One Condo has been rented out to FEMA for $1,000.00 dollars a night for the next 2 months. That's where our tax dollars are going! I don't know how those people can sleep at night in their luxury rooms when there are women and children and elderly people out on the streets with no where to go. It is the most abominable thing I have ever seen.

A friend of mine could not get in touch with her boyfriend who had stayed in Galveston. She called the police and the Red Cross to have someone check on him. The only person that ever showed up to check on him was from the Red Cross.

After working all day helping Cesar throw out everything he owned because his apartment was flooded, we sat down on the porch to rest and try and cool off. (Still no power at his apartment). We were hot, exhausted, hungry and feeling just about as low as you can get when down the street comes the Red Cross' mobile kitchen serving up hot meals to anyone they could find. I cannot tell you what a welcome site they were. The sweetest lady stuck her head out the window and said anybody hungry? Several of us just broke down and cried. It was so comforting to know that someone actually cared. People came out from all over. Old people, young people and babies. The food was hot and delicious. We had pasta, corn, fruit and cookies. One lady told me that the day before they served fried chicken and it was really good!

So please make a donation to this worthwhile organization. They are truly helping people in desperate need. And please forward this to everyone you know. I just hope and pray that none of you ever need their assistance but if there is a disaster, you would want the Red Cross to be there.