dammit...dammit...dammit...

This came from a friend in Houston, who got it from a local Houston mailing list.

I need your help. We have approximately 200 persons at the Astro Inn (Cavalcade/45) and the Western Inn (610/Airline) who have exhausted their money on their rooms and are now basically going hungry. I was able to get some food from the Farmers Market and Gabby's today and a church was going to feed them tonight. There were families sitting in front of the Astro Inn homeless with no money...If you can get the word out that any help with food (bread, lunch meat, milk, casseroles, water, etc and toiletries (diapers, toothpaste, shampoo, clothes) would be so appreciated. Councilmember Garcia is getting together a meal for Sunday or Monday but the need is immediate.

The food and articles can be taken directly there or I can pick them up. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call. I know we all want to help besides writing a check and this is a way to see the true grief these neighbors to the east are enduring. Thank you and please help!!!!!

Officer Beverly Bisso, Heights Police Storefront

Unfortunately, it's tough to deal with immediate problems like this at a distance. If you have contacts in Houston, and you want to help with a situation like this one right away, get your contacts to donate stuff and then mail 'em a check to pay them back. Same deal for other parts of the country where the refugees have landed.

To donate generally, there are the Red Cross, Lutheran World Relief, Catholic Charities, and the Salvation Army, among others.

If you're trying to contact friends or relatives, try Craig's List. Also, the New Orleans Times-Picayune has set up two searchable fora: I'm OK and Who Are You Looking For?.