Since I’ve last taken up my pen, the Upper Ohio Valley was served up another disaster in a way that only Mother Nature can. Triadelphia, Valley Grove, parts of Elm Grove, and areas of Wheeling were suddenly and savagely destroyed by water.
The term “Flash Flood” does not do it justice. It’s more like an inland Tsunami that attacks swiftly. No warning, just water, right now, with a combination of the usual destructive force of water, and the added kinetic force of a quickly moving wall of it.
This isn’t the river flooding that people who live on Wheeling Island experience every 15 years or so, where the water slowly and predictably rises, giving everyone time to react. This was a storm, followed by immediate destruction and loss of life.
Our local charities are doing a first-class job of responding to the needs of the community. There are so many genuine charities; the ones our communities depend on year after year. They are well organized, well run, and know exactly how to deploy to those in need.
They were already stretched fiscally stressed and are now doubling their efforts and doing even more. Their usual donors are stepping up and providing even more resources.
The need is truly immediate.
A wide variety of national charities have come into the area, sometimes with an army of preachers, which are part of their mission. The comfort and emotional support they are offering is generally welcome. I don’t think I’ve been to a single event where a hat hasn’t been passed for donations that will go to a 501(c)3 charity that is eligible to receive tax deductible contributions.
Having been flooded and nearly losing my business because of a natural disaster in 2004, I know what so many of those effected are going through.
What’s happening now is important. What’s critical, though, is the response that we will deliver in the coming weeks when the cameras aren’t rolling and posting pictures of your allegedly charitable acts on social media is no longer fashionable.
One “pop up” charity was recently crowing about how much they raised but didn’t know that a single old-line charity who does not have an underlying political agenda raised more than that on the first day. I also highly expect the opportunistic charities to be fairly short lived. You’ll find that the donations they solicit are not tax deductible, and their organization may be a 501(C)4, which means your donations can be used for political activities.
Our communities are doing everything we can right now to respond. The authentic service organizations will be there in the coming weeks, months and years helping those who lost their possessions, homes and loved ones.
I’m going to ask that you think carefully before making contributions, or volunteering. If the organization you are working with is more concerned with their media presence than they are in doing the very best for the community, I urge you to think twice.
Have a healthy dose of skepticism and follow the money. Don’t be myopic about “overhead” numbers – most well-run charities have professional management and supremely talented board of directors.
Our valley is rising to this occasion. Let’s be careful that we get the most that we can from our charitable contributions, and the organizations to which we volunteer our time.
