JW Disaster Relief - One of their biggest moneymakers?

by ithinkisee 19 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  ithinkisee

  . . . .and I just thought they were SO on top of disaster relief around the world because they cared.

  But when I heard this a lightbulb went off in my head:

  We just had our CO visit, and our CO is THE GUY that was the head of Hurricane Relief in Punta Gorda, Florida.

  On two specific occasions in his Sunday post-WT talk he made it clear that - even though it wasn't required - that it was expected that people would donate their insurance check to the Society.

  He worked it in like this (I'm quoting from memory):

  ". . and when the repairs were done the family was so thankful and were thanking us over and over again as they were writing out their check to the Society for the insurance amount - in fact - I don't really know ANYBODY who hasn't donated their Insurance check to the Society. . . ." (and then continues on with the great work the Hurricane Relief People are doing).

  He reiterated it again at the end of his talk.

  He even went on to encourage the brothers NOT to use worldly companies because there was a likely chance they would be scammed or swindled.

  The stats were that over 1400 WT Families needed new roofs - and that was just roofs. There was lots of other families with just property damages, water damages, structural damages, etc.

  My thoughts is that if someone gets a $7k or $10k check (some got even more - some luxury houses had six-figure claims) and then pays for the roofing supplies and donates the remainder to the Society. . . .you do the math.

  Even on the conservative side it's ALOT of money.

  Even if the Society pays for a handful of people who DON'T have insurance, and builds their roof outright. . . .it doesn't matter. . .a grand or two for the supplies from the millions they are collecting is not a big deal.

  - ithinkisee
• 

  kls

  I must say they have quit the scamming going on .
  
  
  There is definitely someone pretty smart operating this jw business and the sheep have no clue or just don't care.
• 

  kwintestal

  And of course this all is on top of the direct contributions from the R & F that is requested to be directed to disaster relief. It's sickening.

  Kwin
• 

  95stormfront

  On two specific occasions in his Sunday post-WT talk he made it clear that - even though it wasn't required - that it was expected that people would donate their insurance check to the Society.

  It's no surprise that the WT is running that scam again. They did it in Houston when TS Allison literally left the whole city underwater a few years ago. They had this one specific brother whose company was set-up to provide invoices and launder checks through from mortgatge holders that required itemized statements from contractors. The caveate was that to take advantage of this "service" you had to agree to donate the greater portion of the check to the soceity

  The guilt hooks they used was

  ***

  Rbi8 Matthew 10:29-31 ***

  29

  Do not two sparrows sell for a coin of small value? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without YOUR Father?s [knowledge]. 30 But the very hairs of YOUR head are all numbered. 31 Therefore have no fear: YOU are worth more than many sparrows.

  ***

  Rbi8 Proverbs 3:9-10 ***

  9

  Honor Jehovah with your valuable things and with the firstfruits of all your produce. 10 Then your stores of supply will be filled with plenty; and with new wine your own press vats will overflow.

  This was the running theme for any meetings with the brothers whereas anyone had problems with checks requiring endorsement by the mortgage holders.

  There was a lot of grumbling about that amongst my JW relatives who'd taken advantage of this "provision" considering that all the labor, the greatest cost of the job, was provided for free by those brothers skilled in that work.
• 

  lilybird

  IT makes me shudder to think I used to call myself a Jehovah's Witness....
• 

  ithinkisee

  It's no surprise that the WT is running that scam again. They did it in Houston when TS Allison literally left the whole city underwater a few years ago. They had this one specific brother whose company was set-up to provide invoices and launder checks through from mortgatge holders that required itemized statements from contractors. The caveate was that to take advantage of this "service" you had to agree to donate the greater portion of the check to the soceity

  Is this legal?

  -ithinkisee
• 

  Elsewhere

  ". . and when the repairs were done the family was so thankful and were thanking us over and over again as they were writing out their check to the Society for the insurance amount - in fact - I don't really know ANYBODY who hasn't donated their Insurance check to the Society. . . ." (and then continues on with the great work the Hurricane Relief People are doing).

  So, how exactly, is this NOT insurance fraud?
• 

  JustTickledPink

  My mother has been donating her time doing free roofing since the hurricanes hit here in Florida. I live in an area that was pretty hard hit... and the "brothers" are doing roofs here every single weekend (quick build style) until the end of March when she told me they would be finished.

  Basically you sign up to a crew and show up on Sat morning and work until Sun afternoon... all the workers are from the local congregations and are donating their time because they feel like it's the right thing to do.. .meanwhile they are working for FREE.

  My mom raved about this whole program and went on and on how she is collecting the debris and they have her assigned to driving back and forth to the dump and what a "PRIVELEDGE" it was to her to serve her fellow "brothers and sisters"

  It really pissed me off because my mom lives at poverty level and could be at least making minimum wage for her work, but instead she is donating her time and the WTS will collect insurance checks. Yes, the WTS does pay for the materials out of the WWW fun, but I can tell you from experience that the average house shingles costs is around $2,000. So the WTS is going to make thousands of profit on each person.

  It is NOT insurance fraud because it works like this. Your insurance adjuster comes over sees you have no roof/damaged roof, he tells you to get 3 ESTIMATES, which you do from bonafide roofing contracters and then based on your square footage, house, etc.. the insurance company just cuts you a check. We know people next door that collected and then fixed their roof themselves. They pocketed the check. Bottom line, once you have the estimates, you can fix the roof any way you want to and then cash your insurance check. You HAVE to fix the roof though, you can't just cash the check if you don't fix the roof, that is the only contingency I do believe, otherwise they will drop your insurance and sue you for the $$$.
• 

  FairMind

  They try to get you from the cradle to the grave, don't they? Work for us for free for all of your life and then bequeath your estate to us when you die. A question I have is what do they do with all the wealth they are accumulating other than accumulating it? As far as I know the GB, while living well are not living lavishly and besides there are not that many of them. All that wealth not being used to truly benefit anybody is disgusting.

  FairMind
• 

  pericusmeus

  I know the WTs is collecting a lot of money from the disaster relief, and still I worked for free to help my brothers.

  The reason I did it is because I trust them. My father worked as a chairman in a South American Country and member of the Branch comitee for 15 years, and he got nothing out of it, in terms of money. Actually he had to work for a living and he struggled a lot once he left the branch.

  Plus, when in the same country, there was a terrible disaster and many many brothers lost their homes, the WTS got funds fron NY and all the brothers got new homes, better ones than the ones that they lost. And, believe me none of them was insured. That is the honest truth.

  In many countries in Africa South america and Asia, the Society builts Kingdom Halls for free and provides disaster relief for free. Money is not their motivation. They might be wrong in many aspects, but not on this one.

  Now, many non- profit organizations get enormous ammounts of excess money during disaster times.

  Like the red cross, they even asked people not to donate anymore for the tsunami, and said they were going to use the money for someting else.

  If they fix my roof I would donate my insurance check with no problem. Do you know how hard is to be without a roof and not be able to hire a roofer because all are busy for two or three months ahead???

  Or, may be the WTS should say, we will fix your roof but please do not donate anything!!!???

  The only problems is you guys do not know where the money goes ,I do.