Discussions

I will start by saying, I'm never meaning to be rude, I'm just curious and would like a civilized conversation/debate.  
 
My question is coming from all the recent evacuees from various natural disasters, fires, floods, etc. I understand when people are evacuated that they do not have access to clothes because they likely left in a hurry and only packed what they could carry. My question is, why do people always say they need food, formula and diapers? If I was at home raising a child would I not have to pay for food, formula and diapers the same as if I was stranded in a different city? I would still need to buy those items no matter where I was. So why are people always asking for those items as a donation?  
 
Also, I always wonder whether it's actually helpful when people donate clothes, bedding, etc as I had heard stories about the fort mac fires that there were warehouses full of donations from people that never got distributed because the sheer volume of items was too much for volunteers to process and distribute. I've also heard that people donate their old used clothing with stains/rips/tears etc instead of new clothing and that some is in such bad shape that it shouldn't even be donated at all, just thrown in the trash. So while people think they are "helping" they are actually creating a large burden for volunteers to go through to see what is usable/acceptable for people who are in a terrible situation (evacuated from their homes) who shouldn't have to wear other people's soiled hand me downs. Wouldn't it just be better for people to donate money so evacuees can buy what they specifically need?  
 
Again, not trying to be rude or disrespectful, I'm just curious on other people's thoughts on the subject and trying to understand what victims are going through.

Airplanes don’t evacuate clothing and supplies, just people!  
When you get here, you need everything, After a couple of weeks, things get back to normal/as living away from home gets.  
I also suspect, some people won’t get their cheques redirected for a month or two.  
 
Edited by loeog, 2017-09-02 07:53:00

What they do with all of those clothes after they are done with them. If there's no room on the plane to bring clothing would they be able to find room to take them back home with them? I'm just curious I did donate a lot of clothing, I'm just wondering if it is then donated to a charity or value village? I was going to drop it off at a secondhand store anyway,  
but just curious. It would be awesome if they were able to take them home but I doubt that is the case.

Ok. I understand you don't know what it's like to be evacuated, and why people need supplies.  
I had to leave my home way back in 1997 and actually we lost our home to the Red River flood back then, so I kinda know a bit about what it was like but we had much more time to prepare.  
First off, in Houston, the flooding is so bad, thousands lost everything. EVERYTHING. i mean house, clothes, furniture, appliances, toiletries, pets, lamps, books, beds n blankets, tv's, cars, trucks, campers, outdoor equipment, etc...  
Those from up north had to be flown out in a hurry and couldn't bring very much at all.  
Ok. Why need donations?  
 
Grab some of your clothes, and clothes for your kids/spouse if you have and get in your car as if you were going to the park or for gas at a gas station.  
Drive to a completely different city where you don't know anyone and pretend to be an evacuee. You have to find affordable shelter, pay for meals, basically depending on circumstances, start your life over again.  
 
Many people can't afford to do that. Babies need to eat, poop n be safe and warm. Imagine you only have $300 in your account and you just got evacuated somewhere and you might have or did just loose your house, the stores you used to shop at, etc...  
Ok. Now new city. $300 to buy groceries, find shelter, new job, clothes if you need, toiletries, rent etc...  
This is where good volunteers, helpful people and the Red Cross come in, finding and providing shelter and food, formula and diapers, blankets and beds, hope and happiness for those displaced from their homes. Homes they may never see again. That way you can try keep some of your cash if you have any to help rebuild your life later... Your going to need it!  
 
If you still don't get it, go for a drive... A very long one and just try rebuild your life from out of a backpack. Possible, but better with help. Happy motoring

That some families live paycheck to paycheck. So at home they might have their budgeted amount of diapers and formula, but could only grab what they could carry or maybe a diaper bag.

I can totally understand your point of view and I would never want to go through it personally. I'm just wondering though, don't the evacuees from the fires get flown in and taken to a hotel and given money to live off of per day? That's quite a bit different then driving into an unknown city and trying to find your own lodging. I don't know how insurance money or evacuee stipends work so I have no idea how much they get each day to live off of. I can totally sympathize with those on a very tight budget as that would be hard to be overdrawn. I've just heard stories where sometimes the donations don't appear to be as helpful as people think. Maybe in this situation they are though.

I know when we were evacuated here in Brandon we were given a pretty good pay check to help out. Even after purchasing meals and things we needed we had a good amount left over. I'm sure it's a slightly different situation as we had time to grab clothes where as these people will probably have just left with what they were wearing.

An article on the Starfm Facebook page saying diapers are being refused for evacuees and Red Cross only wants money donated..

Yesterday , some evacuees were seen at Walmart wirh carts full of clothing and other things , which is great , but than one had a 19" tv in her cart! What's the tv for? It went through customer service so we knew it was covered by the relief !

I feel horrible for what they've gone through but I witnessed a cart with electronics, a kid's bike and a fishing rod pull up to customer service at Walmart with a Red Cross voucher. I'm not ok with that. I understand they might be bored but that's pushing it in my opinion. Kids can go to the parks. I highly doubt by now no one has donated some toys etc. Call me ignorant but that left a sour taste in my mouth. I know that's just one of many and that most are appreciative and without but c'mon!

Electronics- don't we all use electronics throughout the day to pass the time? A kids bike? For a child to ride to the park. A fishing rod? To go down to the river and fish.  
 
Come on people. These people have nothing and are cooped up in a hotel room day and and day out. What is wrong with spending their money on these things for entertainment. Good grief.

The OP was correct that many communities end up with a second problem after a disaster... What to do with all the donated stuff. That's why donating money is far better. If you want to clear out some old clothes have a garage sale and donate the money you raise. In regards to what evacuees spend money on, I think we have to remember that many of the northern communities don't have the shopping options we do or the prices. I'm sure if someone from Brandon was evacuated to Los Angeles they'd probably do a little shopping and visit Disney. Being evacuated is stressful so let's all give them some leeway on these choices.

My point wasn't that they wouldn't use these things. We keep hearing they aren't receiving necessities from Red Cross. So if they are "hardly getting anything"as has been reported then would these items be priorities to take care of your family? I get people have other priorities but perhaps the babies with them may have needed diapers, formula etc. They can buy whatever they want to buy but we keep hearing they're getting nothing so I'm curious how it all works.

Judging from the lineups at Walmart Customer Service, multiple carts filled to overflow, I think they are getting the supplies they need. I guess its up to the individual how they spend the monies allotted to them. Priorities?

RC123 said "Electronics- don't we all use electronics throughout the day to pass the time? A kids bike? For a child to ride to the park. A fishing rod? To go down to the river and fish.     Come on people. These people have nothing and are cooped up in a hotel room day and and day out. What is wrong with spending their money on these things for entertainment. Good grief. "

every hotel room in Brandon will have a TV.

I don't know about anyone else out there in the real world, but when I shop I sure don't look to see what everyone else has in their cart. How do you know they were evacuees, did you ask them? If slamming people for their purchases behind their backs behind a computer makes you feel better somehow, maybe check yourself? Hope somehow you can find a healthier way to use your spare time.

Children can not be expected to watch tv 12 hrs a day. Swimming gets old after awhile. Its hard to get to parks when you dont know where they are and must walk everywhere. Im not sure if they have activities planned for the kids but I do know local organizations were turned away from red cross when they asked for space to organize things for kids to do.  
 
Also to all the looky loos checking whats in people carts.Its also the season for foster parents to recieve their purchase orders for their foster kids.

are they planning to take all their purchases back home if, as stated in an earlier post [i]"Airplanes don’t evacuate clothing and supplies, just people! " [/i]...they were barely able to get diapers, formula and clothing but they're going to take their purchases back with them?  
 
Maybe they're going to ship them back another way? I doubt it.

Am amazed at how people go shopping and pay so muxh attention to what others have in their carts, and how they are paying for their purchases.  
 
Honestly-a 19" TV isnt much-at least they were not buying a big 50" flatscreen. And i rather imagine that anyone who needs diapers and formula was getting diapwrs and formula-not every family evacuated needs those things.  
 
Donations-read an article.from Houston-a volunteer desceibed how much time volunteers spent going through boxes of useless donations after Harvey-people donated winter coats and ugly Christmas sweaters (Houston residents generally do not need winter coats ever and ceetainly not now!) and lingerie and stained underwear. No one wants old stained underwear and lingerie isnt much of a "want" right now. Neither are prom dresses but they got those too. This story explains why donations often are not wanted, and money to red cross is preferred.

Thoughts on the questions asked by the OP in the original post?

speed and time and weight and space in the boat and aircraft are Critical, but on the return trip you can have some "luggage" to help settle back in.... we would all do that given the high difference in cost of goods or unavailability in the north.

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/wildfire-evacuees-to-demand-province-declare-state-of-emergency-442999893.html