Sadly, I have nothing new to report on the legitimacy of the “Paramedics”.
It seems I may have been scammed by con artists posing as uniformed paramedics taking donations outside a local WalMart on Wednesday. I gave them cash and my business card. They gave me a flyer with totally useless information on it. However, I couldn’t check them out until I got home. You may read the full text of the story at www.lindajhutchinson.com/blog.
Checking today, I’ve found the website listed on the flyer still doesn’t exist. The phone number still isn’t working. I’ve heard nothing from 10-TV, which I notified with the possible scam information. Although they are now warning about scam activity in every newscast.
If the pollen count is down in the morning, I’ll venture out and pay a visit to the address given on the flyer. I may even visit the closest police precinct, flyer in hand. You can be sure I’ll direct law enforcement officers to the WalMart surveillance tapes if I can’t convince myself the men in uniform were/are legitimate.
On a more positive note, here in Columbus, Ohio, local Lonestar Steakhouse restaurants will be donating ALL receipts from meals purchased on Labor Day to the Red Cross. School children in one area elementary school are “buying” the opportunity to wear hats of their choice at school. They’ve raised $3400 for the Red Cross, at about $1 per day per student. 10-TV’s Show You Care program has gathered $64,000 since Monday. Other school children were taking donations before school this morning. At a local middle school, kids have given up their lunch money this week, to be donated to the Red Cross.
From Nova Scotia, Canada, Betty Dobson of Inkspotter Publishing (www.inkspotter.com) is donating a portion of all sales to the American Red Cross. In an email from her earlier this evening she said the images of the destruction have brought tears to her eyes. She wishes she could do more. She is a publishing company of one. (She puts out a wonderful free monthly newsletter for writers, if you’d like to sign up. She’s also one heck of a writer!)
Having watched hours of newscasts, I’m unable to comprehend the depth of frustration, helplessness and hopelessness, our Gulf coast neighbors have suffered and are continuing to suffer. I’m angry at our nation’s leaders for taking five days to respond. We got food and aid to the tsunami victims half a world away faster than we are getting food and water and medicine to our own citizens, within our own borders. If it weren’t for American citizens, church and civic groups, doing everything they can, and the positive training our school children are receiving in learning how to give, I’d be one ashamed American right now. My opinion of our President has sunk lower than even I thought possible.
We were planning on going to our farm in TN this weekend. With the hike in gas prices we decided not to make the trip. Writer friend Ronii Grace (www.thehatlady.blogspot.com and http://legacyofsilence.com) and her husband have offered to drive over to our place and check for damage from the remnants of Katrina. They’ve recently moved to KY from OK. I’m feeling blessed to have made such good friends over the Internet.
And so, I’m as confused now as I was when I began this entry to my blog. Confused, angry, frustrated, mourning for the dead, praying for the survivors.
After hubby got home from work tonight, he got a call from his boss, asking him to work this holiday weekend. The extra money will increase our donation to the Red Cross to help our neighbors to the south. Our prayers are already with them.
No comments:
Post a Comment