The Red Cross has more than 26,000 employees. Theodoric Meyer contributed reporting. By continuing to use this website, you agree to the Terms of Service & Privacy Policy. During the Sandy disaster, some government officials came to resent the Red Cross. So did scientific studies that firmed up the health risks. The volunteers were told to drive around and look like youre giving disaster relief, Rieckenberg says. "It absolutely disgusts me that the federal government would put PR concerns ahead of public health concerns," Republican state Rep. Todd Stephens declared. Problems with PFAS surfaced partly as a result of a 1999 lawsuit by a farmer who filmed his cattle staggering, frothing and dying in a field near a DuPont disposal site in Parkersburg, West Virginia, for PFAS then used in Teflon. 55 Kenosia Avenue The real issue was that the Red Cross was failing to gather information about where hungry victims were located. Scheifele says they demanded that he fire people under him. national veterans service fund public relations pr nightmare From United Airlines violently removing a passenger to Pepsi, Starbucks and Chick-fil-As public faux pas. In addition, TANNER failed to report $794,768.47 in embezzled income on her 2009 through 2013 federal tax returns, resulting in a tax loss of $270,026. The Red Cross marshalled an army of volunteers, but many were misdirected by the charitys managers. A locked padlock While its impossible to meet every need in the first chaotic hours and days of a disaster, we are proud that we were able to provide millions of people with hot meals, shelter, relief supplies and financial support during the 2012 hurricanes, the charity wrote in a statement to ProPublica and NPR. The disarray and deception in Mississippi made Rieckenberg furious, he recalls. Sometimes, even when supplies were plentiful, they went to waste. Some veterans charities wrought with issues - Darien Times Red Cross officials deny the group had made decisions based on public relations. There was nothing political in our decisions regarding Tampa, the charity says. The meeting drew residents and officials from Horsham and other affected towns in eastern Pennsylvania, and officials from some of the other dozens of states dealing with the same contaminants. Design direction by David Sleight. In Mississippi we were unable to open a single shelter with proper staff, materials and food resources prior to landfall, Rieckenberg wrote. You (as usual) have clearly articulated the core of many of the issues we are facing. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito. "No one wants to say no to a charity that is purportedly supporting veterans. While an aerial photographer was taking pictures of the California coastline Founder & CEO Nancy Brinker leading a PR disaster. "And yet there are instances in which we have to be careful.". The Spirit of America had recently been shut down, as the need for meals was tapering off. One reform, the Red Cross says, moved nearly one-third of its disaster positions out of national headquarters and into the field, closer to the victims. Doing Its Job in Natural Disasters Samsung began selling its Galaxy Note 7 phones in August 2016, and by September, it had suspended sales of the phone due to reports that they were catching fire during charging. Public relations nightmare. Fax Line: (203) 773- 5376. The ad also included a picture of a woman and the caption "Keep it clean, keep it bright. While most charities are trustworthy, patrons must be vigilant, says Art Taylor, president of the Better Business Bureaus Wise Giving Alliance. The Red Cross relief effort was worse than the storm.. Top Red Cross executives were furious. Handicapped victims slept in their wheelchairs for days because the charity had not secured proper cots. White House called toxins contamination PR nightmare - Military I think I will just cash the check. WebAnd thats just the official number. More:How much does average American taxpayer give to charity and why could it fall in 2018? Among the several dozen organizations named, Illinois-based VietNow had raised nearly $2 million nationally using professional telemarketers who exaggerated or misrepresented its charitable activities. Congress forced an overhaul. TANNER, who is released on bond, was ordered to report to prison on August 30, 2016. WebThe American Institute of Philanthropy in 2007 awarded a Grade of "F" to National Veterans Services Fund, reporting that only 2% of revenues went to veterans services, and that Behind closed doors, Red Cross executives acknowledged the effort was falling short. Whats more, Red Cross officials at national headquarters in Washington, D.C. compounded the charitys inability to provide relief by diverting assets for public relations purposes, as one internal report puts it. Circuit Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in Bridgeport to one month of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release BRYANT BERMUDEZ, 31, of East Hartford, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to offenses related to his participation in a stolen catalytic converter trafficking FRANCISCO AYALA, 22, of Ansonia, has pleaded in Hartford federal court to offenses related to his participation in a stolen catalytic converter trafficking ring. Didnt Lady Gaga just donate a million dollars to you guys? she asked the Red Cross staffer. United Airlines went viral in the worst way possible when video of a man being wrestled off one of its flights hit the internet. Updated 05/02/2016. And then, on Oct. 29, 2012, Sandy hit New York. Emails from the time show Rieckenberg complained that Red Cross officials prevented disaster response leaders from moving volunteers out of Tampa even after forecasts showed that the hurricane wouldnt hit the city. The charity ultimately raised $312 million to help Sandy victims. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) "But they're gone.". National Veterans Service Fund, Inc. - Revdex.com National Veterans Services Fund - NORD (National An internal Lessons Learned PowerPoint presentation lists hindrances to service delivery. Its first bullet point: NHQ national headquarters. The finding helped move PFAS up as a national priority. But while its fundraising was torrential, its disaster response was a trickle. They believed the charity was up to the job. Are walking blood banks coming to a field hospital near you? Red Cross officials are supposed to track sex offenders who come to shelters and confer with law enforcement. In some low-lying areas, residents had to be rescued from the rooftops of their submerged homes. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. She has been ordered to report to prison on Aug. 30 and has been sentenced to two years, followed by three years of supervised release. The NVSF was established to manage social services and limited medical assistance to Vietnam and Persian Gulf War veterans and their families with a focus on families with disabled children. Rieckenberg emailed his superior at national headquarters on Sept. 12, 2012, to sound the alarm. Washington became the first state to ban any firefighting foam with the compound. Not a threat; simply a promise. "I know that you can't bring back three people that I lost," Betz, a retired airman, told the federal officials at the Horsham meeting. The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. - VFW In 2016, the EPA set advisory limits without any direct enforcement for two kinds of PFAS that had recently been phased out of production in the United States. "They knew they had seeped into the water, and they didn't tell anybody about it until it was revealed and they had to," she said. It is a public relations worst case scenario. Asked about that, Riggen says crippled is a strong term. The public enumeration of the Red Cross services was accurate, he says. Phone: 202-588-5700. HORSHAM, Pa. Lauren Woeher wonders if her 16-month-old daughter has been harmed by tap water contaminated with toxic industrial compounds used in products like nonstick cookware, carpets, firefighting foam and fast-food wrappers. They were not interested in solving the problem they were interested in looking good. The charity, which took in about $20 million from 2014 to 2017, must pay its remaining assets, at least $72,122.36 to one or more court-approved legitimate veterans The BBB and the FTC posted new educational information on their sites for consumers to better spot potential scammers. The FTC and attorneys general in Florida, California, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohioand Oregonfiled a complaint and reached a settlement with Help the Vets, officials announced Thursday. TANNER was arrested on related state charges on June 2, 2014. WebDescription. PR Nightmare In January, Eiger sent an objection letter to YouTuber Dian Widianarko, requesting him to take down a product review of one of the companys products. The Red Cross has endured patches of trouble in the recent past. Some charities gave even less. Chiefs often work 18-hour days, setting up makeshift command centers in places like motel hallways, sometimes working without electricity. In the process, they harm not only well-meaning donors, but also the many legitimate charities that actually do great work on behalf of veterans and service members., GuideStar, which gives charities ratings based on how much information they publicly disclose in their profile on the service, said in a statement Thursday:"As we learned today, the information this organization provided not just to the IRS but also to GuideStar was fraudulent. President Obama, who is the charitys honorary chairman, vouched for the group after Sandy, telling Americans to donate. He and Scheifele presented a host of other concerns to the officials. Michigan last month ordered residents of two towns to stop drinking or cooking with their water, after PFAS were found at 20 times the EPA's 2016 advisory level. He has since reconciled with top executives and continues to work on disasters for the Red Cross, an organization he says he loves. Accessibility, between an organization or an individual and the public, How todays growing brand imposter risks pose dangers to consumersand can fatally destroy brand reputations, 5 PR strategies to use for your new business, IPR looks back at 2022, and compiles the top PR insights of the year, 9 strategies supporting the importance of public relations in 2023, Risk management challenges: New research finds sizeable gap between C-suite and senior managers on threat of business inefficiencies. I was quite bluntly told that they didnt care it was the plan that was going to make the ARC [American Red Cross] look the best to the local politicians, he wrote. That was incredibly demoralizing.. Reviews of the data, and studies to gather more, are ongoing. These are not your ERVs. In one case, the Red Cross had to throw out tens of thousands of meals because it couldnt find the people who needed them. The problems stand in stark contrast to the Red Cross standing in the realm of disaster relief. After how long they were in Tampa, they obviously could not redeploy. Youve got a 75-year-old emergency response vehicle driver whos got to go up 17 stories to feed a 75-year-old disaster victim. About 460 mass care volunteer workers 90 percent of the workers the organization dispatched to provide food and shelter for the storm overall were stationed in Tampa ahead of landfall, Rieckenbergs emailsfrom the time say. Tim Hagey, manager of a local water utility, recalls how he used to assure people that the local public water was safe. Copyright 2023 NORD National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. All rights reserved. State lawmakers complained of "a lack of urgency and incompetency" on the part of EPA. During Isaac, Red Cross supervisors ordered dozens of trucks usually deployed to deliver aid to be driven around nearly empty instead, just to be seen, one of the drivers, Jim Dunham, recalls. These people give veterans organizations a bad name. "VietNow was a telemarketing scheme which used professional fundraisers who tolddonors their donations would help local vets," said John Wobensmith, secretary of state for Maryland, one of the states that investigated the group. Your generosity sees to it that VFW Service Officers are available free of charge to any veteran in need of help. We're celebrating 40 years of rare disease advocacy. nycha employment verification. Charitable giving is at a record high. That wasnt the problem, Rieckenberg told his superiors. EPA testing from 2013 to 2015 found significant amounts of PFAS in public water supplies in 33 U.S. states. The Red Cross knows what theyre doing, he said. But some Red Cross veterans say they see few signs the organization has made the necessary changes since Sandy and Isaac to respond competently the next time disaster hits. He was asked: Should people give money to the Red Cross? We became focused on making the numbers look good and in showing a presence, he emailed Riggen, the Red Cross vice president, on Nov. 18, 2012. I believe the reorganizations that have taken place are killing this organization, says Bob Scheifele, a veteran Red Cross disaster response expert who was on the ground after Isaac and Sandy. She started working in the Rockaways a couple of days after the storm hit and stayed for 10 months. We were sent way down on the Gulf with nothing to give, Dunham says. The Red Cross acknowledges that nearly two-thirds of the volunteers responding to Sandy had never before provided relief after a large disaster. Some were ordered to stay in Tampa long after it became clear that Isaac would bypass the city. Public Relations Toolkit Among the multiple systems that failed was the charitys tracking of its emergency response vehicles. But staff didnt know/follow procedures, the presentation notes. Congress has since boosted the agency's authority to regulate problematic chemicals. Dozens of fake charities scammed donations for veterans Veterans find relief from nightmares with NightWare and Apple Watch Sandy victims were going hungry. It was the first time in Rieckenbergs experience that people in charge of disaster relief didnt have the final say over where Red Cross volunteers were sent. According to the Red Cross, Chief Executive McGovern participated in the press conference, but Red Cross did not hold the press conference and, to be clear, it was not the reason that ERVs were sent to Staten Island. (The Red Cross did issue a press release for the event, stating that McGovern would have a media availability.), In another diversion, an emergency response vehicle was dispatched to an early December photo-op with supermodel Heidi Klum to tour affected areas with Red Cross supplies, recalled a third senior Red Cross official who requested anonymity because the official still works for the charity. PR In early December 2012, Red Cross officials asked Bob Scheifele, who was then mass care chief for New York, to put on a demonstration for donors who had funded the Spirit of America, a giant mobile kitchen attached to a semi, which has the capacity to make 30,000 meals a day. Barbra Streisand. "As an industry today we're very forthcoming meeting any kind of regulatory requirement to disclose any kind of adverse data," said Jessica Bowman, a senior director at the American Chemistry Council trade group. Sandy and Isaac Lessons Learned PowerPoint, Minutes from post-Sandy meeting of Red Cross execs, Hurricane Isaac emails from Red Cross officials, Hurricane Sandy letter from Red Cross official. Rieckenberg, who planned the Red Cross mass care effort from Washington before the storm hit and then worked on the ground in New York, experienced the problem firsthand. But Peter Grevatt, director of the agency's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, told The Associated Press that there's no deadline for a decision on possible regulatory actions. It faced allegations of financial mismanagement after Sept. 11 and Hurricane Katrina and a series of chief executives were forced to resign. One, looking at a kind of PFAS once used in making Teflon, found a probable link with kidney and testicular cancer, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, hypertension in pregnant women and high cholesterol. Bloomingdales ran a print ad in 2015 encouraging readers to "spike your best friend's eggnog when they're not looking." Chick-fil-A's history of anti-LGBT activism came to light after the company's CEO Dan Cathy admitted to opposing same-sex marriage in 2012. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. Weve written about the National Veterans Services Fund before. WebFrom fighting for veterans benefits on Capitol Hill, to financial grants, transition support and educational scholarships, we're there to ensure current and former service members 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. An official website of the United States government. PFAS have been in production since the 1940s, and there are about 3,500 different types. This is extremely systemic.. Don't let anything ruin it.". WebThe Public Relations Toolkit and resource annexes are a complete kit of easy to use media products that can be tailored to promote your American Legion post, unit or squadron activities during the course of the year. In keeping with a carefully established plan, representatives from government agencies and charities gather there to coordinate, share information and respond to crises 24 hours a day. We are more enamored with the perception of success rather than success, Rieckenberg told them, according to his notes. Recovering from a PR nightmare: 11 steps brands - Agility PR Scheifele documented the incident at the time in a memo for the record.. From a broad perspective I completely agree with you, Trevor Riggen, the top Red Cross disaster response official, replied that same day. That includes toughening up the federal Toxic Substances Control Act and regulatory mandates for the EPA itself in 2016. We all want to help these heroes," he said, speaking at the FTC event. However, one internal report casts doubt on the reliability of these figures: The sheer size of the disaster crippled our ability to count the number of relief items distributed, it says. Phone: 617-249-7300, Danbury, CT office With the accompanying photo of a man looking at a distracted woman, some accused the ad of contributing rape culture by encouraging people to shirk consent. The National Veterans Services Fund, Inc., (formerly Vietnam Veterans Agent Orange Victims, Inc.) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and inform WebHealthy communities Equity, inclusion, & diversity Public policy. Another Red Cross disaster response chief, Steve Ade, complained to a vice president, according to Rieckenberg and two other Red Cross officials. Richard Sturiale, who saw the basement and first floor of his home in the Rockaways destroyed by flooding, recalls that the only Red Cross truck my neighbors or I saw came two weeks after the storm. In contrast, he says, Mormon and Amish volunteers appeared at my doorstep offering much-needed help just three days after Sandy. WebThe yearly average given to veterans is $500,000, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The skincare company Nivea took some heat on social media after it debuted an ad featuring the phrase "white is purity," which some accused of supporting white supremacy. Buy some batteries with it.. But law enforcement officials found VietNow used only applied 0.2 percentof its donations to directly helpveterans, officials said. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. They sent me a check for $2.50 with the expectation that I would send the check back with a donation. Webnational veterans service fund public relations pr nightmare. A PR nightmare is a scenario where something that was supposed to go smoothly goes wrong. In response to questions about its performance after Sandy overall, the Red Cross frequently points to the total number of services it says it delivered: 17 million meals and snacks, 74,000 overnight stays in shelters, more than 7 million relief items like blankets and flashlights. EPA testing from 2013 to 2015 found significant amounts of PFAS in public water supplies in 33 U.S. states. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Share a tip or join our reporters this Friday for a live chat. In mid-October 2012, Rieckenberg and Scheifele traveled to Washington to present their experiences to Riggen and two other high-level Red Cross executives. Veterans Services Organization Bookkeeper Sentenced to Our care Health research National leaders. Cynthia Tanner, 54, of Darien, pleaded guilty to fraud and tax evasion after embezzling around $800,000 from the National Veterans Service Fund and using the funds to instead pay for various personal expenses for her family and family members. In Horsham and surrounding towns in eastern Pennsylvania, and at other sites around the United States, the foams once used routinely in firefighting training at military bases contained per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. The overall Red Cross operation after Isaac was beset by problems. Two weeks after Sandy hit, Red Cross Chief Executive Gail McGovern declared that the groups relief efforts had been near flawless.. Americans get a patriotic feeling when they donate to charities that help military veterans and current service members a sentiment dozens of charities across the U.S. have exploited to scammillions of dollars in donations, a government watchdog agency says. The Red Cross mobilized hundreds of volunteers, equipment, emergency vehicles and supplies. Accessibility, Amrapali Rai is a digital marketing consultant who blogs about business and marketing at, How todays growing brand imposter risks pose dangers to consumersand can fatally destroy brand reputations, 5 PR strategies to use for your new business, IPR looks back at 2022, and compiles the top PR insights of the year, 9 strategies supporting the importance of public relations in 2023, Risk management challenges: New research finds sizeable gap between C-suite and senior managers on threat of business inefficiencies. Web Clients include small private landlords to major national property companies and managing agents, as well as those in the public sector. After Sandy, volunteers wandered the streets of New York in search of stricken neighborhoods, lost because they had not been given GPS equipment to guide them. The official was anticipating a visit by Red Cross brass and wanted to impress them with the level of activity, he says. Official websites use .gov National Veterans Foundation | The Lifeline for Vets New York State Attorney Generals Office. The National They sent hundreds of millions of dollars to the Red Cross, confident their money would ease the suffering left behind by Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Isaac. People should do what they think is best for them.. A major offender, officials say, was Help the Vets, which had a nationwide operation, soliciting donations for its funding of veterans' medical care, including breast cancer treatment, a suicide prevention program, retreats for recuperating from stressand veterans fighting breast cancer. In New Jersey, officials urged fishermen to eat some kinds of fish no more than once a year because of PFAS contamination. They belong to Gail and shes going to do whatever she wants with them, referring to McGovern, the Red Cross chief executive. Have a question about Government Services? Video showed security dragging the man being off the plane by his arms with blood on his face. Top Red Cross officials were concerned only about the appearance of aid, not actually delivering it, Rieckenberg says. With the charity stumbling badly in the early days after Sandy, Red Cross headquarters began feeling pressure. The claims process can be confusing and no veteran should ever have to go it alone. Among the findings: The 50 worst charities in America devote less than 4% of donations raised to direct cash aid. According to the U.S. attorney's office, Tanner altered records to conceal her scheme and falsely claimed the money was being paid to veterans from 2009 to 2014. The new system uses Apple technology to help disrupt nightmares for those with PTSD. Officials at the Red Cross national headquarters stood firm over Rieckenbergs objections. national veterans service fund public relations pr nightmare But McGoverns moves alienated many longtime volunteers and reservists, current and former Red Cross officials say. In 2015, Starbucks had its own PR disaster with its "race together" campaign, which sought to help heal race relations in America through coffee cup stickers, and not much else. When President Trump signed the first version of his Muslim travel ban in February and taxis briefly withheld service from airports in protest, Uber announced it would be lowering its own prices. In addition to targeting filing complaints against fraudulent charities, the FTC has launched aneducation campaign to help consumers make sure they are donating to legitimate charities. We didnt have the kind of sophistication needed for this size job, noted a Red Cross vice president in the same meeting, the minutes say.
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