Not-quite fandom stuff

[ratherastory]

Y'know, I think it's awesome that Random Acts is trying to raise a ton of money for Haiti. God knows, that country needs all the help it can get in order to rebuild after last year's earthquake.

It's just... I am seriously uncomfortable at the idea of fans "raising" $5000 in order to go with Misha et al. to Haiti in order to have a more "personal connection" to what they're doing, or whatever. I just can't help but feel that that aspect of this fundraiser is entirely made of fail. The idea of a group of tourists (feel free to disagree with my nomenclature, but to me that's what they are) going over to witness how grateful the natives are for their munificence just sets my teeth on edge.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. After all, the money is going where it's supposed to, so it can't be all bad. It's just pushing several of my squick buttons.

Comments

[faithburke.livejournal.com]

It all depends on the attitude going in and the quality of the unskilled labor. My church does this twice a year, once in the early spring to a non-profit ranch in Canada that works with troubled kids and once in late summer to Mexico. Neither one is a vacation in any way, shape or form. The one in the spring involves 12 hour days clearing brush, repairing buildings, painting, whatever needs done. In Mexico they do similar work for a church there. The people who organize these trips are trained carpenters/plumbers/electricians who are good at what they do, and those who go raise their own money. The people in each location know the core group because we go to the same places every year, and they know that the people involved will do whatever it is they need for as long as they need it.