Charitable Giving Natural disasters of great magnitude such a earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis are usually followed by a quick response from the American population to donate money to help those affected no matter in which part of the world the disaster occurred. However, following an outbreak of a health disease such as Ebola there has been a markedly lower response rate to donations. Even though there seems to be a clear disparity in the amount of contribution the American population has made between these two classes of disasters, there are several contributing factors that could explain this. Among these contributing factors could be people’s trust for the organization, people’ emotional reactions towards the disaster and the level …show more content…
Although there are many well recognized organization, such as the American Red Cross, that fundraise to aid different causes, there also exist other organizations who may not be as trustworthy. People may think before donating not only on the trustworthiness of the organization, but also on the possibility that those funds may not ever reach their intended destination. Since the major outbreak of Ebola is in West Africa, people may question whether the intended funds ever reach their destination. However, it is important to note that this does not seem to be the major contributing factor to the disparity because in 2010 the American Red Cross raised 486 million dollars for the Haiti Earthquake, and in 2011 it raised 312 million dollars for the Japan earthquake and Tsunami. These numbers are substantially higher than what it has in raised in 2014 for the West Africa Ebola outbreak, 3.7 million dollars (Quartz). Despite the fact that all of these disasters have occurred in very distant places from the United States there has been much more aid for the natural disasters than for Ebola. Therefore, there seems to be other more powerful contributing factors to significant …show more content…
People are motivated to donate to a cause not only by the nature of the disaster, but also by the outcomes, and these outcomes are usually portrayed in the form of pictures and videos through the social media. It is likely that pictures and videos of destroyed, torn down building and people left without a shelter are more emotionally impacting to the human eye than photos of people in hazmat suits trying to protect themselves from the Ebola virus while taking care of the infected person. The emotional connection that people feel towards seeing others left without a secure shelter is most of the time more personally relevant because it is easier for people to be able to put themselves in the affected person’s shoes. It is easier for people to picture to think about the possibility that the natural disaster could have occurred where they live ringing up sympathy for the affected people, and therefore making them more willing to donate to provide relief. Whereas, it may be harder for someone to be able to place themselves in the shoes of a person infected with Ebola especially in a country like the United States in which fortunately the vast majority have access to clean water, food, and appropriate health care. Therefore, if people do not feel personally or emotionally connected to the cause they are less likely to make a contribution to help provide relief for those affected, such as in the
Drea Knufken’s thesis statement is that “As a society, we’ve acquired an immunity to crisis” (510-512). This means that humans in general, or citizens of the world, have become completely desensitized to disasters, we think of them as just another headline, without any understanding of their impact upon fellow
Since the writing of this case, the American Red Cross (ARC) is on record as having conceptually addressed its infrastructure and operational hurdles. However, very few strides have been made to reverse stakeholder perception crisis response time, relief dispatch strategies, and the ethical dilemmas plaguing the organization. Governmental mandates that streamlined the board and that established accounting /reporting parameters have done little to modify the organizations operational culture.
Everyday, millions of families are affected by natural disasters and left helpless within the international crisis of poverty. A lack of resources results in a lack of hope to many of those affected, and a little light is shed on this subject through the ad, “Coins” by the American Red Cross. The “Coins” ad produced by the American Red Cross explicitly promotes the act of donating to the organization, but it implicitly promotes humility, selflessness, and compassion.
John M. Darley and Bibb Latane first pose the question of “When Will People Help in a Crisis?” before explaining three concepts as to why people may or may not help in a time of need. They explain that some people turn a blind eye because “Americans consider it bad manners to look closely at others in public” (Darley and Latane 416). Another reason people choose not to help is because they are trying to interpret a situation based on how others around are acting (Bibb and Latane 417). The last reason Bibb and Latane give is that the more people that are around, the less likely an individual is to help. Bibb and Latane’s goal for “When Will People Help in a Crisis?” is to make the reader aware; By looking at the studies that Darley and Latane have done, supporting evidence from other sources, and through personal experience it’s clear that their theories prove true.
The supreme law of the land (“Constitution of the United States” 17), the source of all government power (“The Constitution” 1), the Constitution, framed in 1787 established the structure of United States government on the basis of the unprecedented notion: federalism. Federalism, the division of power amongst varying levels of government, first appeared in the English language in 1793 (Oxford English Dictionary), and has since remained true to both its American origin and denotation. In modern times, federalism is evident in the American system in addressing the West-African epidemic, and borderline pandemic, ebola. Through collaborative and individual efforts, the federal, state and local governmental bodies of the United States have exemplified the concept
The recent devastations of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have taken countless lives through death as well as the loss of homes and belongings. It will take some people years to rebuild their lives to a fraction of what they were before the storm. We, NHS Officers and our peers, felt that we were called upon to help the communities that lost so much. Our town has felt the impact of numerous hurricanes, like Irene and Sandy in consecutive years, but we were able to recover with the help of donations and organizations like FEMA which provided food and clothing. Thus, we concluded that the best ways to help those affected were clothing and food drives. After receiving approval from the NHS advisor, Principal, and Vice-Principal we began to advertise
Although there are conflicting statements and sentiments, among the authors about how particular elements of how to accomplish the Gulf Coast’s recovery or what was the most damning aspect of the Gulf region’s cultural and societal composition, they all seem to agree on the overarching problems that culminated in the shameful treatment of Hurricane Katrina survivors. The major theme of this book is stated in its title, There is No Such Thing as a Natural Disaster. The editors and authors are not denying the occurrence of natural phenomena that can disrupt, injure and kill human beings, they are using current the current sociological paradigm that focuses on the loss of expected support during a crisis(“2015SU2-SOC-283434-01: M1 - What is Disaster?,” n.d.). In doing this, they are making the point that cultural, social and political factors in a disaster situation are deciding characteristics of how the population responds and are responded to during the
Charity may begin at home but it certainly doesn’t have to end there. I am proud to hear on the news about how the United States is helping in the relief efforts in Haiti after the recent earthquake. Thanks to the values that have been instilled in me, I plan to make a financial contribution to these efforts and I hope others will follow suit. I am comforted to know that there are people not just in my community but around the world that are willing to lend a hand of support to friends, family and to people they will likely never meet. I am proud to be an American, a nation of givers.
In February of 2005 the Red Cross reported victims of the Asian Tsunami received $500 per affected person. Meanwhile, relief efforts for Uganda’s eighteen year war achieved only fifty cents per affected person. How can people be so generous to one disaster and so cold to another? People are more likely to donate money to natural disasters because they are easier for us to digest. Humans don't want to believe there is war and evil, so they ignore it. Natural disasters have a cause and effect easily identified and understood. Because maintaining popular attention is difficult, complicated crises with “complex political and social origins” are less likely to receive media attention and communal aid (Wheeler).
The storm had finally passed, but the problems came flowing through. 13 million people were affected and more than 80 people died during those days. I felt an overwhelming rush to help those in need, even though my house had been hit really hard. I found a church to volunteer at and I immediately went to work. I noticed extended lines of people from all backgrounds who truly needed aid. However, the amount of volunteers was minuscule compared to the number of people who needed help. I then contacted my friends and family who were safe from the storm and asked them if they could come to assist these individuals who were in dire need. Within 24 hours, they all came and brought a great amount of people with them who also had supplies, as well. This beautiful sight is one that brought so much joy to everyone involved. We were able to quickly help the men, women, and children who then showed utter appreciation and gratefulness for what they were given. I was able to lead the distribution of clothing, interact with the victims, hear their stories, and give out a sufficient amount of supplies. Many with tears in their eyes and huge smiles on their faces, left the church with a newfound hope and
Executive summary: the information presented below is the case study for The American Red Cross association. The organisation operates on its own and is supported by donations from people. Its main objective is to provide alleviation to those suffering from natural disasters such as earthquakes, flood, tsunami and other natural calamities. The organisation on an average, responds to about 70,000 disasters in one year, across the globe. There was massive criticism for the association for the route they took to care of the attacks on September 11, 2001 including the Hurricane in 2005. The allegations were ineffective and bad management, be that as it may, and the organisation has additionally tended to claims
An Ebola outbreak in the United States is rare, and individuals cannot contract the disease through casual contact with an infected person. Therefore, the likelihood of contracting Ebola is extremely low unless a person has direct unprotected contact with body fluids of a person who is sick with Ebola (). Vulnerable populations impacted by the EVD are anyone who has traveled to an Ebola-affected country, or had contact with someone who unknowingly or knowingly has Ebola. However, Georgia is vulnerable to travel-related EVD cases, because it houses the CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta and because it is home of one of the largest international airports that receives travelers from Ebola-affect West Africa ().
Over the past few months, Ebola has captured global attention due to the mass amounts of media coverage swarming the topic. As a result of this sudden outburst of attention to Ebola, the general public might believe this recent pandemic to be the first of its kind: however, there have been several reported cases of the Ebola virus disease that date back to 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. One contested issue that emerges from the current outbreak of the Ebola virus disease in West Africa is the treatment of health care workers who are returning to the United States after working with the infected people. Upon their return from Africa, state officials from New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Florida, have mandated that the health care
Social media sites including Twitter and Facebook are in their infancy yet play an increasingly important role in the response to a disaster. After all, “one of the basic tenants of emergency management is mass communication and being able to deliver pertinent information to those who need it” (Gould, 2012). Social media offers an avenue to obtain up to the minute information on a given situation right in an individual's hands thanks to the proliferation of mobile devices. “Each disaster sparks its own complex web of fast-paced information exchange. It can both improve disaster response and allow affected populations to take control of their situation as well as feel empowered” (Maron, 2013). While traditional forms of media, print, radio and television in particular, have been the standard since the inception of the emerg...
In recent times, there are tons of organizations and individuals that were doing their best to help out the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston and its suburbs. The same acts of kindness were shown to the victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and its surrounding areas. The organizations and individuals helped by donating clothes and food. Some organizations and government provided temporary shelter such as the Superdome in New Orleans and John Olsten’s mega church in Houston. I saw people trying to help the potential victims of Hurricane Irma by donating cloths, toiletries, and other essentials such as shelter for the residents of Florida. For example, Wesleyan College allowed the families of Florida students to stay in empty dorm rooms so they would be safe and away from the hurricane’s wrath. I remember people from other countries trying to help the victims of the horrible earthquake in Haiti a couple of years ago and some organizations are still helping the people out in Haiti. Examples of kindness like these are plentiful such as the relief efforts that are continuously happening in the third world countries of Africa and others throughout the world. In this country, also regardless of traumatic events such as helping the homeless find food and shelter and other non-profit organizations that main focus is to help and show kindness to people in