Diaster relief

I donated my tithe for this week and last week (and a little more) to UMCOR instead of to my local church, as I don't have a pledge for them to be budgetting on. UMCOR is the United Methodist Committee on Relief, and frankly, I trust them more than I do the Red Cross. Plus, administration costs are paid out of church funds, not donations. (Which, err, are also donations, but /different/ donations given for the knowing purpose of maintenance of church programs locally and globally.)

Fact is, that money probably won't go (immediately) to help clean up from Katrina. That's becaues UMCOR keeps aid supplies and money on hand for immediate response times; instead it will go to refill the general 'hurricane' relief fund and purchase more cleanup supplies to replace what's already been taken out for Katrina. Of course, given the duration of diaster we're looking at, chances are good more will be drawn from the fund before it's 'over'.