Okay ... a new one. Although it is not truly from my "office", I needed to vent ...
Many of you may have heard of the flooding in SE Minnesota and the Federal Emergency declaration. Well, I am the Emergency Response Coordinator for my little town and it amazes me how people can polarize in situations like this. The majority, clearly, have become self-aware and mobilized themselves to get things done. (Not to mention the incredible number of volunteers and professionals who jump in and get things done.) But, there are always those who look to whine and take advantage. Case in point ...
Keep in mind the level of devastation and loss as I explain this one woman's "attitude" ...
Reputation: She is in a home built by Habit for Humanity. I once belonged and helped build these homes, so do not get me wrong, I am not making a general categorization at all. This woman clearly takes advanatage of the opportunity and even tried to SELL the home three months after moving in to it so she could pocket the profit.
She has sox children, three from a husband and three from a LIVE-IN boyfriend. Each set of three's names begin with the same first letter as daddy's first name so she can tell whose they are. More than once neighbors have complained about her public PDA in the backyard with one or both men - from speaking in to the microphone all the way to saddling up. (I kid you not.)
She, and both boyfriends, have jobs - and not something at minimum wage.
If it matters, she's not ugly, but not likely on many "to do" lists.
Building Inspection: So when houses all around her have been destroyed and lay full of mud and debris, the house had a backed up sewer line in ONE bathroom. That's it - I've seen the report myself. Their water works, their sewer works, they have electricity.
Post Flood
Day 1: She and her kids are the first inline for Salvation Army food and Red Cross supplies. They leave with arms full of things donated from all kinds of organizations.
Day 2: Again, back for food and supplies - three times. Ate at every meal served again - all of them. She put a sign in front of her house defining how no one was doing anything "for her". She sought out every reporter and news camera to tell her "sob story" - remember,
no damage?
Day 3: Complained at our community meeting that maybe her children needed counseling that the flood impact was starting to affect them. (Someone blurted out she should stop humming her boyfriend in the backyard while they watched.) More free food - more unnecessary supplies.
Asked if the shed anchoring protocol was still the best way to secure her shed. Drove around town (in and out of the dust, mud, wet drywall and garbage piles at the street, etc.) in her "new car" to shwo it off.
Day 4: Asked me again about the blessed shed protocol ... again, there are people without homes, your priority is waaaaaaayyy down here. (I was organizing about 600 volunteers with people who needed them, 9 bobcats, 2 front loaders, appliance flatbeds, and about 50 roll-off dumpster trucks throughout the day.) One more question about the D@** shed and I was going to blow ... so she went in the Red Cross room and loaded up AGAIN and left.
The community meeting introduced some insight on what to expect if FEMA should be available, which was like arming her with a new purpose. She was observed that evening taking evacuated garbage from in front of other homes and puting it on a pile in front of her house. The real kicker ... she was also seen taking five gallon buckets of mud in to her house and throwing them across the floor in teh kitchen and living room.
I caught her kids taking water bottles from the Salvation Army coolers and having a water fight about 9:00PM. Her response was "it's out there for everyoen to use". GGGRRRRrrrrrr ...
Day 5: Taking pictures of the garbage pile of effected belongings and the mud/water damage in her house "so I can report it with my FEMA paperwork". She then proceeded to take arm fulls of cleaning supplies, work boots (donated by Red Wing and LaCrosse shoes btw - awesome stuff), clothes, and school supplies for her kids (donated by the local Wal-Mart for kids impacted by the floods).
I can write more and more and more ... the details provided are miniscule compared to the level of debachary and fraud she has stooped to in the last few weeks.
So finally ... I blew up. My tirade was lengthy, well stated, and essentially banned her from the community center and relative supplies. I know most of the Sheriff deputies (who knew all to well what she was up to) and they backed me up. I then learned at least three people had turned her in to FEMA as a case of fraud.
Maybe this wasn't the intention of this post ... but it was time to share the story somewhere ... and I feel better for it. Thanks.
In closing ... :ahem:
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Dear Fraudulent Wench,
Get your poop in a group!!! Demonstrate some respect for those who are truly in need, some dignity for yourself and family, and a decent example for your kids! Stop hoarding, whoring, whining, and basically just showing your ### and how seld centered and manipulating you can be.
That is all.
much better ...