Tim Cook Says Apple Has Raised Over $3 Million for Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts

[MacRumors]

Apple CEO Tim Cook today sent out an email to Apple employees addressing Hurricane Harvey and the devastation that it's wrought in areas of southeast Texas and Louisiana.

Cook says Apple has helped raise over $3 million for relief efforts, both through its own donations and donations from Apple customers.

Apple on Sunday began accepting donations from its website and iTunes Store, with the money going directly to the American Red Cross to support people affected by catastrophic flooding. Cook's full email is below, courtesy of BuzzFeed.

As you know, Hurricane Harvey is having a devastating impact on Texas and Louisiana. Our thoughts are with our employees in the storm zone and the millions of people whose lives have been disrupted by rain, wind and floods. I want to update you on some of the things Apple has been doing to help, and ways that you can get involved.

On the ground, Apple's global crisis management team is working to support our employees directly affected by the flooding in Texas. The team is in close contact with Apple employees in the Houston area, and they're actively doing everything they can to assist, including moving some employees and their families to safety. Apple employees in the Houston area have generously been helping people displaced by the flooding by opening their homes to team members and their families, and in some cases, assisting in rescue operations. We're also proud that the US Coast Guard is using Apple products in those efforts, with nearly two dozen USCG helicopters specially equipped with iPads to help coordinate search and rescue teams.

As Harvey was making landfall, we put in motion critical donation programs. Apple is making it easy for customers to donate directly to the American Red Cross through the App Store, iTunes and apple.com, and we're matching employee donations two-for-one. Thanks to your generosity and that of our users, Apple has helped raise more than $1 million in just the past few days. That's in addition to the $2 million Apple pledged to the Red Cross over the weekend.

Though our stores in the Houston area are still closed today, we're working hard to get as many as possible open tomorrow to serve people who have been impacted by the storm. Our teams are eager to help with problems large and small, and they know there are lots of people in that area who need it.

I was in Austin the day before Harvey came ashore, and the team was already bracing for the storm and the long recovery. Today that work continues. At our Austin campuses, we are kicking off a donation drive in partnership with the Central Texas Food Bank and Caffè Macs to collect food, diapers and personal hygiene items -- all things that are critical in the aftermath of a storm of this magnitude.

Because Texas is home to more than 8,700 of our coworkers, the storm's impact is felt by all of us. There's still much to do, and Apple is committed to help.

Hurricane Harvey made landfall on Friday night and was initially classified as a Category 4 hurricane, but was downgraded to a tropical storm. Over the past few days, several areas in Texas and Louisiana have seen heavy rain and flooding.

Apple customers can continue to donate to the American Red Cross using Apple's tools. Users can donate $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, or $200, with donations processed as normal iTunes purchases.

Apple also donated $2 million to the Red Cross over the weekend, and is matching employee donations two-for-one.

Article Link: Tim Cook Says Apple Has Raised Over $3 Million for Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts

 

[826317]

Slap another $3 million from Apple's bank account on top of that and I think we can call it a day.

EDIT: I retract my statement. Apparently ARC are scammers.

 

[Asarien]

It always baffles me that hundred-billion dollar corporations take pride in asking common people to give $5.

Why couldn't Apple donate 5 million dollars themselves? What's that amount to them?

 

[2b1ask1]

It always baffles me that hundred-billion dollar corporations take pride in asking common people to give $5.

Why couldn't Apple donate 5 million dollars themselves? What's that amount to them?

Because the Red Cross is a scam.

Plain and simple.

Charity is a fantastic business.

I can certainly post an endless parade of proof of The Red Cross' scams here if anyone asks. A bunch of us posted links in the other Red Cross "pleas" posts.

I have seen 3 pleas for the Red Cross on this forum over the last 2 weeks.

I thought this was a forum to discuss Mac stuff - not scams.

 

[Asarien]

Because the Red Cross is a scam.

Plain and simple.

I have seen 3 pleas for the Red Cross on this forum over the last 2 weeks.

I thought this was a forum to discuss Mac stuff - not scams.

Apple has resources to bypass Red Cross entirely.

 

[ScottishDuck]

Just for the sake of comparison, this is equivalent to about an hour of profit for Apple.

 

[HiFiGuy528]

Apple donated $1M more than Disney.... $1M from Disney is less than a rounding error for their books.

 

[shyam09]

It always baffles me that hundred-billion dollar corporations take pride in asking common people to give $5.

Why couldn't Apple donate 5 million dollars themselves? What's that amount to them?

I don't know. I think about it more from a "glass half-full" perspective. Sure, Apple can donate a couple million dollars themselves, but I think it's better to use their position to get as much involvement from the community and to encourage people to donate.

 

[MellowFuzz]

Tim Cook could have rummaged around in his pockets for loose change and brought out a million... what a pile of hypocritical b.s. this announcement is. Apple execs could double/triple/quadruple? this with a week's remuneration each... but hey, I guess mansions don't come cheap in the Bay Area. Anyone who falls for this virtue-signalling is a sap.

 

[mi7chy]

Red Cross CEO was last reported making over a million salary. Also, read up on how they performed or underperformed with previous disasters. Think about that when choosing an organization to donate to so that you're not passing money from one Crook to another crook.

http://www.npr.org/2014/10/29/359365276/on-superstorm-sandy-anniversary-red-cross-under-scrutiny

http://www.slate.com/articles/busin...money_to_the_red_cross_we_need_a_new_way.html

Instead, let's praise those organizations that are speaking with action without first asking for a hand out.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheCajunNavy

https://www.facebook.com/CajunNavy2016/

https://www.facebook.com/HEB/

 

[Tubamajuba]

I don't know. I think about it more from a "glass half-full" perspective. Sure, Apple can donate a couple million dollars themselves, but I think it's better to use their position to get as much involvement from the community and to encourage people to donate.

Thank you for this. "Glass half-full" perspectives are refreshing in comparison to the "Glass is completely empty and causes cancer" attitude that is found throughout these forums.

 

[Macalway]

Because the Red Cross is a scam.

Plain and simple.

Charity is a fantastic business.

I can certainly post an endless parade of proof of The Red Cross' scams here if anyone asks. A bunch of us posted links in the other Red Cross "pleas" posts.

I have seen 3 pleas for the Red Cross on this forum over the last 2 weeks.

I thought this was a forum to discuss Mac stuff - not scams.

I'm speechless.

 

[stevet]

I don't know. I think about it more from a "glass half-full" perspective. Sure, Apple can donate a couple million dollars themselves, but I think it's better to use their position to get as much involvement from the community and to encourage people to donate.

Yeah, cause no on would know what was going on in Houston if it wasn't for Apple, and they certainly wouldn't know how to donate money in other ways...

On a side note, people donating to The Red Cross should understand that the money goes to one pot, not directly to people in Houston.

 

[Macalway]

Yeah, cause no on would know what was going on in Houston if it wasn't for Apple, and they certainly wouldn't know how to donate money in other ways...

On a side note, people donating to The Red Cross should understand that the money goes to one pot, not directly to people in Houston.

This is reasonable.

It certainly would be much better if I had a boat near there.

 

[kingpushup]

If some Fortune 100 companies coordinated efforts, they might relocate entire communities to the benefit of all. Would need industries like insurance for payouts, real eatate for relocations, tech for new area margins and retailers to finish the new neighborhood.

+Neighbors restart together in a new area, so coordinated relocation. Else must wade thru years of messy uncertain rebuild in depressed economy due to messy rebuild.

+Cleanup is clean-slate, efficient. Dramatically improves future cash flows once construction is complete for new residents.

+Companies profit and such FCF projection + flood insurance would enable the 2x value buyout.

+Regional economy attracts tech transplants which fuels further regional economic opportunities.

So, could ask several of the affected areas, and first area(s) to reach ~90% signup could win Federal support for eminent domain to handle remaining holdouts.

Why? Disaster relief is mostly in the rebuild, taking years and billions to attemt to restore. But why painstakingly restore if a community elects rather overwhelmingly to restart? Corporations offer buyout, coordinated voluntary relocation at a gain to all.

I am equally wary of nonprofits though I support them, and lend a hand with my time, because whats the alternative? Well we can do all this AND see corporations cooordinate their comparative advantages as described above, maybe.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

It always baffles me that hundred-billion dollar corporations take pride in asking common people to give $5.

Why couldn't Apple donate 5 million dollars themselves? What's that amount to them?

Apple is matching employee donations 2 to 1. It doesn't appear to be a limit. So the question really is why are all those high $ employees being so stingy. Apple has 80K employees. If each one donated $100 that would be $8m in employee donations + $16m from Apple. So I think instead of talking in terms of "greedy corporations" here we should be talking in terms of "greedy overpaid employees." $100 to all but maybe the cafeteria staff is chicken feed to an Apple employee.

Apple has resources to bypass Red Cross entirely.

Apple runs a blood bank?

 

[gondor5]

I hear good things about this site: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/disaster/hurricane-harvey/

 

[autrefois]

Here's another good video (with transcript too) about why the Red Cross isn't good -- they waste money and they're accountable to no one. Hopefully Apple will stop giving donations to them sometime soon, and this time people can find local on-the-ground charities where the money will go directly to help victims of Harvey.

https://www.democracynow.org/2017/8/30/the_red_cross_wont_save_houston_texas

"The Red Cross Won't Save Houston. Texas Residents Are Launching Community Relief Efforts Instead"

 

[larrylaffer]

I'm speechless.

I know, you don't want to believe that what they wrote is true. I don't want to believe it either.

Sadly however, it is true. The Red Cross is awful. NPR and ProPublica have done numerous stories documenting the extreme waste.

Here's an entire series of stories: https://www.propublica.org/series/red-cross

 

[blacktape242]

too bad not much of that will actually be going to people.... the red cross is horrible!

 

[macTW]

Why do I buy Apple?

This.

 

[ErikGrim]

I really wish Apple would go for pretty much anyone but Red Cross.

http://www.npr.org/2015/06/03/411524156/in-search-of-the-red-cross-500-million-in-haiti-relief

 

[JJSantoro]

Wow from one crooked company to another. As George Lopez would say "Fantastic Just Fantastic"!

 

[Williesleg]

...I know a lot of people want to send blankets or water....just send us your cash!

I always check charities and ask exactly how much goes to actual aid for the charity....most are really low, like below 10%

There are some good ones out there, though...just make sure you check for yourself and ask questions before sending your help. They need your help, and the right charities are there...so are the scams...

 

[apolloa]

Meanwhile Verizon has donated 10 million dollars to the Harvey relief fund.......

http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/0...f-efforts-making-atts-350k-seem-like-nothing/

Here's a list of donations so far:

http://money.cnn.com/2017/08/30/news/companies/hurricane-harvey-corporate-donations/index.html

Verizon by far giving the most, wouldn't it be nice if a near trillion dollar corporation matched Verizon's donation?