A plug for my employer - Whole Foods Market

[TexasBushwhacker]

From our president, John Mackey:

"We are working to identify the immediate and long-term needs of our team members impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Our efforts thus far include the establishment of a special internal relief fund supported by donations from fellow team members and a guaranteed job at another store location," said John Mackey, Whole Foods Market chairman and CEO. "In addition, our stores across the country have made it easy for shoppers wishing to support the relief efforts to simply add a donation to their purchase which will go directly to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. We will make a matching donation for in-store customer donations up to a total of $1 million."

I'm sure other grocers and retailers are stepping up to the plate, but I just wanted to let people know about this. We've also put together 1000 bags of supplies to go to NOLA.

[nickinSTL]

1. Excellent...

I'll have to stop by Whole Foods this weekend and buy something...and add that donation.

Never been to a Whole Foods, but this seems like a good opportunity to visit one.

[Windy]

2. Its a GREAT Place

I buy my groceries there every week....

They do a lot of good for people.

[SophieZ]

5. Why I'm not giving to the Red Cross.

You are all welcome to do so.

Here are my reasons.

1. The CEO makes over $650,000 per year.

2. Their annual budget is $3.4 billion per year. Perhaps there are other local groups that are really hurting.

3. The Red Cross was kept out of New Orleans after the hurricane, they say by Homeland Security. People were DYING from lack of food and water. Anyone with a TV knows that. If the CEO of the Red Cross (she is a former Navy rear admiral, for crying out loud) called a press conference and TOLD THE WORLD that they were being kept out, and that people were dying because of it, it would have caused a storm of controversy. They would probably have been allowed to go in. I can't imagine why they didn't do this, if they are really interested first and foremost in saving lives.

4. The Red Cross asks for cash rather than donations of food or supplies. They say it takes too much volunteer effort to sort and handle goods. I understand their reasoning, but with access to zillions of volunteers and $3.4 billion, I have to wonder why they should do LESS work than other agencies, who DO handle goods.

Sources:

1. Marsha J. Evans, President and CEO of the American Red Cross Salary for year ending 06/30/03 was $651,957

<http://www.forbes.com/finance/lists/14/2004/LIR.jhtml?passListId=14&passYear=2004&passListType=Misc&datatype=Misc&uniqueId=CH0013>

2. Marsha J. Evans has held the office of President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross since August of 2002. With an annual operating budget of $3.4 billion...

http://www.redcross.org/pressrelease/0,1077,0_314_1502,00.html

3. Rear Admiral -- http://www.redcross.org/pressrelease/0,1077,0_314_1502,00.html

Kept Out --
Astonishingly, the Red Cross was not allowed into New Orleans after the hurricane. The Red Cross website attempts to explain why (http://www.redcross.org/faq/0,1096,0_682_4524,00.html#4524).

"Hurricane Katrina: Why is the Red Cross not in New Orleans?

--Acess to New Orleans is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities and while we are in constant contact with them, we simply cannot enter New Orleans against their orders.

--The state Homeland Security Department had requested--and continues to request--that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city."

"Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city."

Read that over and over, and ponder whether you've left the world where people need food and water to survive while waiting to be evacuated from a hell on earth .... perhaps you've entered a parallel universe where people who have escaped their toxic, flooded town would venture back in for a free sandwich and a bottle of water.

Hey, at least the Red Cross could have loaded up those empty buses heading into New Orleans with food and water, to be unloaded at the stations where thousands were still awaiting evacuation.

4. Red Cross website -- www.redcross.org

[crispini]

7. Why I gave my last paycheck to the Red Cross

1. Any CEO worth their SALT makes at least that kind of dough. Our CEO makes way more than that and our annual budget is less than that (we are a private company.)

2. The ongoing budget of $3.4 billion does an awful lot that you don't hear about day to day. For example, when my friend's house burned to the ground a couple of months ago, they showed up and helped him out. They paid for a couple of days of hotel and helped him out.

Here are some of the other things in that report you linked to:
"From helping victims of disasters, to teaching safety-preparedness and lifesaving skills, to processing nearly half the nation's blood supply, the Red Cross assists millions of Americans each year. "

Processing nearly half the nation's blood supply -- you think that doesn't cost a lot of money?

Here's some other stuff they do with that budget:

As President and CEO, Evans leads an organization that, last year alone, assisted the victims of more than 70,000 natural- and human-caused disasters, from single-family fires to large-scale events including acts of terrorism; collected almost 6.5 million units of blood; trained more than 11 million people in lifesaving skills such as first aid and CPR; helped thousands of U.S. service members separated from their families by military duty stay connected; responded to humanitarian emergencies including four back-to-back hurricanes in the U.S. and a devastating tsunami in South Asia; and initiated the Measles Initiative, a health intervention campaign to eradicate measles deaths in Africa.

3. Kept out -- don't you think they WANTED to be there? The NG kept them out.

[crispini]

8. Oh, and....

why I don't care that they don't accept in-kind donations -- having seen firsthand a donation center for in-kind stuff here in Dallas which was set up on an impromptu basis at a hotel -- wow, that place was a ZOO! Absolutely EVERYTHING brought in. The Fire Department told them that it was a fire hazard and they had to take it all to a neighboring hotel. Think about how hard it is to manage something like that.

And, accepting in-kind donation is A BIG PART of what the Salvation Army does, and they do it well. Why should the Red Cross duplicate the work they do?

[tavalon]

3. I still have the three gift certificates that were sent to me

to give to Andy Stephenson. Can I take those to Whole Foods to get food etc. to the folks?

I meant to take them to one of the food banks before I left Seattle but didn't manage it.

[txindy]

4. I don't see why not. Are you in Austin? Take it to the Burger Center.

I'm sure it would be much appreciated.

[Avalon Sparks]

6. Thanks for letting us know!!!

You should post this in the GD forum too I think.

Wholefoods is AWESOME. I love that store and shop there whenever I can.

Thank you so much for letting us know.