As up to a million Hurricane Katrina survivors evacuated their storm-torn and flooded neighborhoods, parishioners throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles found many different ways to help.
---Parish special collections last weekend raised badly needed funds to assist evacuees. Others were planning bake sales and car washes.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has established a Hurricane Relief Fund. Parishioners can send donations to their local parishes, which will then send a single check designated for "Hurricane Relief" to: National Collection for Hurricane Relief, Archdiocese of Los Angeles, 3424 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010.
Or individuals can make a direct contribution to Catholic Charities at 2005 Hurricane Relief Fund, Catholic Charities USA, PO Box 25168, Alexandria, VA 22313-9788.
---Nurses from the emergency dept. of Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills volunteered to help victims at the Houston Astrodome.
The pediatric section in the Astrodome medical unit "was especially chaotic," wrote Kelly Kurcz, Providence emergency dept. manager, in an e-mail Sept. 2. Three Providence trauma nurses, she said, "literally took over the entire area and established order. Children are very sick. No food or water for a few days is a dangerous combination."
---Loyola Marymount University has begun admitting some 60 students from universities affected by Hurricane Katrina. "Our first priority is to help place incoming seniors and keep them on their graduation track," said Matthew Fissinger, LMU director of undergraduate admission. "We also are working closely with sister campus Loyola University in New Orleans to aid those students as much as possible."
--- Mount St. Mary's College in Los Angeles admitted nine displaced students Sept. 6.
---Homeless youth from Covenant House California in Hollywood have organized a car wash to benefit youth from Covenant House New Orleans who were forced to evacuate to Covenant House Houston.
--- Students at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower are collecting money for the students and families of a New Orleans high school also run by the Salesians of St. John Bosco.
---On Sept. 10, the music group Harmonia, plus Frank and ValLimar Jansen, planned to head a benefit concert for hurricane relief, "Walk the Talk," at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 18405 Superior St., Northridge, 7:30 p.m. A second concert featuring the same performers will take place Sept. 16 at St. George Church in Ontario.
Parishes in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas are responding to emergency and long-term needs for Hurricane Katrina survivors.
Some 230 evacuees found shelter at St. Peter Claver Church in Houston. Josephite Father Rawlin Enette, pastor, said he has never seen an outpouring of charity such as the one he's witnessed since the survivors arrived.
"Every time you look up, they're bringing in more stuff, like food and clothing," he said.
Among the evacuees was Maxine Rixner, a parishioner at St. Monica Parish in New Orleans, who fled her home with her daughter and granddaughter.
The elderly woman said she has been amazed at the level of hospitality she has received in Texas.
"I'm so grateful. I was telling my daughter you see the Holy Spirit working in everyone. If we could just keep this togetherness going after this disaster, what a wonderful world it would be," Rixner added.
The Diocese of Alexandria, La., 190 miles north of New Orleans, had several of its facilities designated as evacuation sites. The diocesan high school was housing people, and the Alexandria diocesan retreat center was housing a group of retired Sisters of the Holy Family and Red Cross relief workers. St. Mary's Residential Treatment Center for the Developmentally Disabled provided shelter to 26 patients with feeding tubes and many developmentally disabled adults.
-- CNS contributed to this story. |