Readers are sharing with us stories of how their houses of worship--both near and far from the devastation--are reaching out to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. How is your spiritual community responding? Please let us know by sending an email to
hurricanekatrina@beliefnetstaff.com . We invite you to submit photos of your faith group in action as well.
From Food to Flashlights
Coral Baptist Church
Coral Springs, Florida
Works in a network with other churches to deploy RV's to disaster areas, where they serve meals to victims and rescue workers
Sends supplies such as generators and hygiene kits (filled with hair combs, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, feminine products, wet wipes, tissues, trash bags, flash lights, batteries, candles, matches, hair bands, razors, shaving cream, bug-off wipes, chapstick)
Saves $.15 per dollar on all donations to the church for disasters like this
Where Hope Comes in a Box
Presbyterian USA Church
Asheville, North Carolina
Putting together Personal Health Kits for adults and Hope-in-a-Box kits for kids, to send to shelters in Houston, Texas
Through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, sending teams to Gulf Coast areas for hands-on help
Welcoming Furry Friends
Providing temporary accommodations in the church for victims turned away from rescue centers because of their pets
Quality Time and Spiritual Support
First Baptist Church
Fairhope, Alabama (2 hours from New Orleans)
Providing meals and supplies for some 300 displaced people in public shelters
Collecting donations for the relief effort
Congregation members visiting the shelters and distribute Bibles
Reaching Out to Neighbors
A local church in Grand Bay, Alabama, a shrimping town devastated by the storm
Supplying meals, clothing, and diapers to people in town
Truckloads of Goodwill
American Gurdawara Parbhandak Committee
Sending truckloads of grocery items, including juice, water, and food
Gurdawaras of Houston and Dallas organizing community kitchens for victims
Relief Trips and Supply Drives
Crossings Church
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Encouraging financial donations to be directed to Samaritan's Purse
Working with local churches to plan relief trips from Oklahoma
Coordinating a supply drive with churches in the Gulf region
Helping Evacuees Find Loved Ones
University Baptist Church
Thibodaux, Louisiana
Driving evacuees to Shrieveport and Houston to help them find family members
Joining with other churches, both Protestant and Catholic, to conduct interfaith services
Congregation members donating food, clothing and Bibles
Members in health care professions volunteering to help special needs victims
Driving members to worship services
Pastor Jim Duck and Education Minister Wayne Hunt spending time comforting those coping with loss
Deferred Donations
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
San Luis Obispo, California
Encouraging donations to Catholic Charities for relief work
Taking collections in lieu of those scheduled for church ministeries
Health Kits, Flood Buckets, and Prayers
Cornwall United Methodist Church
New Windsor, NY
Collecting donations for the United Methodist Committee on Relief
Making health kits, flood buckets
Sharing lists with other groups who want to help the people of the Gulf Coast
Continuing prayer vigil
Every Collection Counts
Smith Chapel, United Methodist Church
Elsberry, Missouri
Taking up a collection for the next four sundays for relief effort
