Don't Fall For It!
It's an unfortunate reality that when there is a crisis or disaster--someone will try to take advantage of distressed people and cheat them out of the money they need to rebuild their lives. I saw it in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. "Construction companies" approached flooded homeowners and got them to sign contracts to repair their homes. They required large down payments to "be sure you're at the top of the list." And then they disappeared. The next group of abusers pretended to be attorneys that would go after the fake construction companies and "get your money back"--and they required a sizable retainer to "be sure your case will receive immediate attention." And then they disappeared too.
Con-men and -women seem to have no morals or ethics about ripping off people who are already suffering from a destructive and disorienting crisis.
Why am I telling you this? Because in the past two days, I've experienced THREE examples of questionable and predatory requests for money to address the needs of people affected by the coronavirus crisis. A church member called me to ask about a request he received in the mail to donate to an organization he'd never heard of claiming to be working with the Dineh. It was not a United Methodist-related group, so he has no idea how they got his name and address.
I personally received an email asking me to contribute to a "Go Fund Me" account to help people who are unable to pay their rent--an organization I haven't heard of from an email address I don't recognize. Then the church received a letter asking for donations for an organization I didn't recognize.
charitynavigator.org This is a very handy website for checking out groups claiming to be legitimate charitable organizations. You can 1. Find out if the organization actually exists, 2. Check its ratings for honesty and transparency, and 3. Find out how they actually spend the money they receive.
The organization our church member asked me about was indeed a legitimate charity. However, they have a checkered ratings history, and spend almost 30% of the money they raise on....fundraising! The other two "charities" don't actually seem to exist--I could find nothing online about them.
Jesus tells us to be "innocent as doves," but he also tells us to be "wise as serpents." Please--Please--Please!!! Be very cautious and wise when approached for money in this time of crisis and change. There are truly unscrupulous people who will play on your natural sympathy for those who are struggling.
DO NOT Give Any Personal Information or Financial Information over the phone, via an online solicitation, or by mail. If you do not recognize the organization, it is best not to engage with them.
Our church will only communicate with you online through the official church email address fumccortez@gmail.com. The only charities/projects I personally feel are 100% safe and secure are UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) and First UMC of Cortez. When you donate to coronavirus relief through UMCOR or through our church, you can be confident that 100% of what you donate will actually go straight to the project. There are no other relief organizations I know that can make this promise.
Please be cautious when approached for donations. We have enough suffering in our world right now--I truly do not want to add any financial rip-offs to the list.
Peace and all good,
Pastor Jean
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