On our way back to DC, I asked Fugate why no one seemed to be taking from the pile of clothing donations I had seen at a Red Cross location. He explained to me the survivor-versus-victim mentality: If you had lost everything and were told you could dress yourself in hand-me-down jeans and shirts that didn’t fit, would that make you feel empowered, more in control? No. A $75 gift card can be much more helpful in propelling someone forward. So when corporations asked what they could donate, he was not shy about asking for gift cards.
