Excellent idea about shipping surplus..or what we call landfill, which often can be very useful stuff, like old computers, refrigerators, clothing etc. We do not have a department of shipping stuff, to my knowledge, and whenever there is a catastrophe somewhere people want money. We have a lot of stuff. It should be given to these places actually prior to catastrophes for them to have on hand for everyday poverty plus earthquakes etc. We only think now in terms of airplanes and fast delivery of stuff. Some stuff, used bedding, towels, clothes, toys, bikes, can take the slow boat to wherever. You have to be sure it does not harbor germs, but that can be taken care of by thorough cleaning, with steam perhaps, and airing in the sun, which some of these places have in abundance. We need something below the Red Cross that collects and distributes stuff prior to emergencies and we need to have ongoing collectiona and distribution. If nothing else, a whole lot of trains to Mexico. mg