NEWS: Who's Helping and How?

CULTURE: Who's Helping and How?

Some of those big, evil corporations that we love to hate are showing their human sides (or maybe their Public Relations Departments' human sides, who knows). Quite a few companies are donating huge amounts of money, supplies, and manpower to the crisis in the states affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Thankfully, there are too many companies that are doing the right thing to list them all here, or even to pick a representative sample. The list is a long one.

You can help too, by contacting the American Red Cross. You can donate on their web site or over the phone at (800) HELP NOW (435-7669). Donations of cash are far more flexible than in-kind donations and are therefore preferred. The American Red Cross has mobilized thousands of volunteers to respond in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and is sending close to 2,000 volunteers in the area to begin the initial response over the next few days.

Ah... I work as an ast. loan processor, and the fact that fannie mae and freddie mac are allowing heloc's for the flood areas got me all teary eyed. I shutter to think of the rates though.

That’s really great, but my cynical side can't help but wonder if Halliburton will get the contract to rebuild down there.

Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but some of those donations are pretty stingy. The largest one, $5 million, is by Toyota, which isn't even an American company.

Comcast is only donating $50,000 to the Red Cross? And not matching donations. They're playing it off by saying they'll rebroadcast special tribute concerts and telethons. As if they wouldn't do that anyway.

I have nothing intelligent to say, but thanks for the article, glad to see some good news.

The company I work for is donating half of the knife sharpening money we make all of the month of September as well as having a knife auction later in the month with all the proceeds going to the Red Cross.

This is a local chain of less than 20 stores, so it won't be a huge amount of money, but I was really proud to hear we are doing what we can.

$50,000 will buy a hell of a lot of bottled drinking water.

"Harrah's Entertainment will establish an Employee Recovery Fund of $1 million and will provide Biloxi, Gulfport and New Orleans casino employees with their regularly scheduled base pay for up to 90 days."

I know they are an evil casino corp, but seriously, good on them for doing that. It will surely help a lot of people who work for them but lost everything - including their jobs.

and I think the Papa John's one is pretty cool too:

"Papa Johns franchisee owner Keith Sullens in Houston is using his location in Reliant Stadium, which is adjacent to the Astrodome, to provide up to 10,000 Pizzas to people arriving at the Astrodome from the Superdome. He is also offering 150 delivery jobs open across the Houston area to people evacuated from New Orleans as a chance for them to get back on their feet. On the corporate Papa Johns will provide water to people evacuated to the Astrodome."

[Edited on Sep 01, 2005 by Cherie]

Coca Cola is also donating $5 million.

"Coca-Cola Company is making a $5 million donation and donating water and other beverages to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for its relief efforts."

of course corporations are making donations. Many of them are a drop in the bucket and are nothing compared to the money it will bring in when new orleans business owners stock their products. Chances are the Superdome sold coke, so it benefits them to have it rebuilt soon.

Wal-Mart's giving $17 million.

This is the first time I've ever had positive thoughts about Wal-Mart.

Now that is fucking awesome. Papa John's rocks (first to online order, those garlic dip things, and this)

Yeah, that's pretty cool, particularly the jobs thing.

They've put out a call for every player in the NFL except for players on the Saints to give $5,000.

i'm just finishing up an internship with a little company that's owned by Kohler. i got an email today that they were going to match any employee donations. i can't remember off hand if anything was mentioned about a straight up company donation

i'd assume that we're sending down some generators and portable bathroom type things. right after 9/11 they made some special semi trailers with showers and bathrooms for the rescue workers out there.

its refreshing to see that list
im glad these companys arent just sitting back expecting that others will donate or give any sort of help

lovin the papa john's approach

Cinemark USA, Inc. will offer discounted ticket pricing to customers in cities affected by Hurricane Katrina beginning Friday, September 2, 2005 until further notice. All tickets for all shows may be purchased for $4.00 per person. Patrons may purchase tickets at the box office or online at Cinemark.com.

Cinemark's "Special Katrina Relief" ticket price is valid for any movie, any time for all Mississippi and Louisiana locations: Cinemark Lake Charles, Cinemark Tinseltown in Baton Rouge, Cinemark Movies 8 in Tupelo, Cinemark Tinseltown USA in Pearl, Cinemark Tinseltown in Shreveport, and Cinemark Tinseltown 17 in West Monroe. The Cinemark 16 in Gulfport, MS is closed for repairs.

In addition, starting Monday, September 5, this special reduced pricing will be offered in all Cinemark locations in the greater Houston area and in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex where many Katrina refugees have temporarily re-located. This includes the following theatres in Houston: Tinseltown at Westchase, Tinseltown at The Woodlands, Cinemark at Market Street, Cinemark 18 in Webster, Cinemark at Pearland, Hollywood 20 in Pasadena, Cinemark 19 in Katy, Tinseltown 290 in Houston, Tinseltown 15 in Beaumont, and the Tinseltown in Jacinto City. This includes the following theatres in the D-FW Metroplex: Cinemark Legacy in Plano, Tinseltown in Plano, Tinseltown in Arlington, Movies 8 in Rockwall, Tinseltown in Grapevine, Movies 14 in McKinney, Cinemark 17 in Dallas, Movies 16 in Grand Prairie, Cinemark 14 in Denton, Cinemark 14 in Cedar Hill, Movies 12 Vista Ridge in Lewisville, Hollywood USA in Garland, and Cinemark 12 in Mansfield.

"This reduced pricing is for all Cinemark customers in these locations - not just those directly affected by the hurricane," says Alan Stock, president of Cinemark USA, Inc. "By offering some measure of entertainment at an affordable price, we hope to alleviate some of the hardships of those who have been displaced by Katrina. We also want to help the thousands who are providing aid and who are feeling the reverberations of this disaster in many ways. We recognize that this is a high stress time - people are in need of a brief escape that a movie can provide."


source

[Edited on Sep 03, 2005 by Cherie]

Nice, except people seem to forget Florida was hit by the storm too.

Starbucks now has a code where you can donate directly to the Red Cross from the registers.

They Also donated 10,000 bottles of water and 10,000 pounds of coffee.

I wonder if they ground the beans though....