Locals offer aid to victims of hurricane

As the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina continues to disrupt

the lives of people on the Gulf Coast, Costa Mesa residents Billy

Jack Ray and Bob Watts are doing their part to help.

Ray, 61, is stationed in a suburban Virginia office, receiving

phone calls from those who are living in storm-ravaged parts of the

South. Watts is also working at the facility, Ray said.

They are joining thousands of volunteers who are part of the

American Red Cross’ largest-ever relief project. The agency has set

up hundreds of shelters and is relying on volunteers to prepare meals

for hurricane victims and direct their calls to the appropriate

agencies.

“It’s a good feeling to have the freedom to help other people,”

said Ray, who is retired. “If I were in their situation, I would hope

people would help me too.”

Like most Red Cross volunteers, Ray is on a three-week assignment.

He arrived on the East Coast late Tuesday and began receiving phone

calls from hurricane victims hours later.

Ray, who volunteered with the Red Cross after the Laguna Beach

landslides earlier this summer, is writing down pertinent information

from callers and directing them to the appropriate resource.

“It’s been tough,” Ray said. “The hardest thing is that many of

the victims don’t have homes. They don’t know what they’re going to

do.”

After the hurricane, the Diocese of Orange had a plan of action.

It is asking all of its parishes to take up a hurricane-relief

collection over the next two weeks. Money will then be sent to

Catholic Charities USA, a social services organization that

distributes funds to those in need.

The diocese raised more than $730,000 earlier this year for

tsunami relief, according to Father Joe Fenton, diocese spokesperson.

He said he expects the diocese to exceed that total for this drive.

“It hits close to home,” Fenton said. “People are in terrible

circumstances, and no one knows where the greatest need is.”

That’s why many Newport-Mesa religious groups and businesses are

running their fundraising projects through national organizations

that are designed to handle large donations.

Temple Bat Yahm in Newport Beach is channeling its donations

through Union for Reform Judaism, a national organization that has an

ongoing relief fund.

Congregants, some of whom have relatives in the affected areas,

were primarily contacted through e-mail about the drive earlier this

week.

“There’s a general sense that it’s our responsibility to help

those in need,” said Bill Shane, the temple’s executive director.

Rock Harbor church in Costa Mesa is donating $10,000 to World

Relief, a Christian-based aid organization, and is anticipating more

money being given in the coming weeks, said Jen Mulroney, Rock

Harbor’s communications director.

Representatives from Rock Harbor are meeting with other churches

today to discuss a potential collaborative project that could involve

sending a scouting team to the Gulf Coast to assess the region’s

needs.

Costa Mesa’s Harbor Trinity Church and the Crossing church are two

local congregations involved in the discussions, said Ric Olsen,

senior associate pastor at Harbor Trinity.

Among the other local organizations involved in hurricane-relief

efforts are:

* Newport Beach-based Pacific Life, whose foundation is sending

$50,000 to the Red Cross.

* Corona del Mar-based Samueli Foundation, which is participating

in a donation drive at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.

* Newport Beach-based Pimco, which is planning a matching-gift

program.

Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to the

Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 11364,

Santa Ana, CA 92711. Internet users can make a secure online

contribution by visiting o7www.oc-redcross.orgf7.

* ELIA POWERS is the enterprise and general assignment reporter.

He may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or by e-mail at

o7elia.powers@latimes.comf7.