Critics Say American Red Cross Squandered Chance To Repair Tarnished Image

HOUSTON, TX — The American Red Cross, an organization that for decades has been considered a front-line organization in times of emergency, is once again coming under fire for what some perceive as a lack of a response in the Houston area during Hurricane Harvey.

During a city council meeting on Sept. 6, Houston City Councilman Dave Martin lashed out at the American Red Cross, calling the organization “inept” and urging potential donors to consider contributing to another cause. (Want to get daily news updates and news of other events going on in your area? Sign up for the free Houston Patch morning newsletter.)

“I beg you not to send them a penny,” Martin said Wednesday. “They are the most inept, unorganized organization that I’ve ever experienced.”

Martin, a Kingwood resident, worked with his staff and the communities in Kingwood and Clear Lake to open refugee shelters during the height of Hurricane Harvey, and saw some of the worst flooding in his own neighborhood.

“I have not seen a single person in Kingwood or Clear Lake that's a representative of the Red Cross. You know who opened our shelters? We did. You know who sent water and supplies? We did. People didn't have cots; we got them blankets,” Martin said. “We didn't get a darn thing from the Red Cross. So, if anyone wants to send them money, don’t waste your time. Don’t waste your money. Send it to other causes.”

But this so-called lack of a response by the American Red Cross during Hurricane Harvey is just the latest in recent years.

In 2010, the Red Cross was criticized for a lack of spending for relief efforts after an earthquake devastated the island nation of Haiti.

The organization came under fire again for its response to Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and was the subject of an investigative report by ProPublica and National Public Radio.

The investigation revealed that the Red Cross actually diverted funds from disaster relief efforts to fund public relations efforts during Hurricane Sandy in an effort to fule public donations.

The Red Cross was criticized for the same diversionary tactics earlier in 2012, when Hurricane Isaac hit the Louisiana-Mississippi coastlines and the relief organization was found to be driving around and staging empty trucks, to appear they were taking part in emergency relief efforts, NPR reported.

The American Red Cross had a golden opportunity to repair its public image and reestablish itself as the go-to disaster relief organization with Hurricane Harvey, and fell flat, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Frederick Henderson, who’d served as Volunteer CPR and Disaster Preparedness Instructor with the American Red Cross, and four years as the Emergency Services Director at the American Red Cross, called referred to the organization as a top-heavy bureaucracy.

“Unfortunately, the American Red Cross is now functioning much like our federal government,” Henderson told the Pink Armadillo. “There is little to no accountability. There is employee apathy and pitiful customer service. Worst of all is the horrible performance and service to those whom they should serve.”

Anyone who wants to help and would like to make a donation to local relief efforts are encouraged to donate here.

Image: Volunteers get a briefing at the George Brown Convention Center that has been turned into a shelter run by the American Red Cross to house victims of the high water from Hurricane Harvey on August 28, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Harvey, which made landfall north of Corpus Christi late Friday evening, is expected to dump upwards to 40 inches of rain in areas of Texas over the next couple of days. (Photo by Erich Schlegel/Getty Images)

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