Charity Fraud Red Cross comments upon Scientology trying to claim ties

From: ufovikii@aol.com (UFOVIKII)
Date: 21 Feb 2002 04:31:28 GMT
Subject: Response from Red Cross concerning Scientology website

Emailed National and Missouri chapter of the American Red Cross concerning the web page Scientology has about working with the Red Cross and received the below response (my name deleted). Are there other web pages they have, listing having worked with the Red Cross?

Vicky

Subj: Scientology Web Site
Date: 2/20/02 4:46:51 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: HooverB@usa.redcross.org
To: UFOVIKII@aol.com

Good afternoon Ms.Deleted:

Your email regarding the Scientology web site was forwarded to my attention. External Relations, Disaster Services liaisons with over 80 organizations who support disaster relief throughout the the United States and its territories. These partnerships encourage coordination, cooperation and collaboration in providing disaster relief to optimize the assistance for persons affected by disasters while minimizing the duplication of services. We are very proud of our working partnerships.

The American Red Cross does not have a formalized national relationship with the Church of Scientology. Additionally, I contacted Doug Wallace, Director, Disaster Services, St Louis, who stated the Church of Scientology did assist St. Louis in the 1995 floods, but they were not Red Cross volunteers.

It is often difficult to request that organizations eliminate Red Cross references on their web sites. Their statement regarding Red Cross relationship is relatively generic; although the photo alludes to a more specific Red Cross relationship. I suspect the photo opportunity presented itself when someone was simply standing in front of the Red Cross sign. I have forwarded your email to information services and to our General Counsel for their perusal. We will continue to monitor the web site for other Red Cross references.

Thank you for your email and your concern regarding American Red Cross Disaster Relief efforts.

Beverly J. Hoover
External Relations
Disaster Services
703-206-8565