 Some college students in southeast China's Sichuan Province recently collected about 300 articles of clothing for earthquake victims and poor people living in mountainous regions.
But when they sent the clothes to the local Red Cross, they were rejected on the basis that the used articles would be quite troublesome to deal with.
The Beijing-based Guangming Net ran a commentary criticizing the local Red Cross office for deviating from its basic principle of improving the situation of vulnerable people. If Red Cross workers really cared about the poor and sick freezing in cold winter gusts, they would be willing to take the trouble to deal with the donated food and clothes and quickly send them to those in need, it said. Even if the organization does not preserve such affection for the poor and sick, it should fulfill its job obligation, it said.
The article goes on to say that the chilly attitude of the Red Cross workers would have a negative affect on volunteers who are enthusiastic about helping others. The organization should welcome both those who donate money as well as others who wish to lend a helping hand. Occupational workers at the Red Cross should be responsible for setting a good example, it said.
Meanwhile, the Hunan-based Rednet published a commentary reminding volunteers to make rational decisions about what kinds of donations they should accept. It suggested that they conduct a preinvestigation of what kind of daily necessities the poor really need and how many. The volunteers also should examine the quality of the donated subjects so that they do not pose any sanitary problems, it said.
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