Unless you've been living under a particularly isolated rock, you know what happened when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. If you have been reading any of the blogs on my list over on the right, you are probably about as well informed as anyone. If you want more information, I recommend the coverage at Making Light for basic what's-going-on (and more), and two posts from Rivka for a good starter on the sociopolitical background: why the aid wasn't there and depraved indifference.

A friend recently commented that he'd already given to the Red Cross, and if somone wanted more of his money they should come up with something specific not just another link to the Red Cross. Unless you're a soulless empty-hearted meat puppet you too, dear reader, have already given to the Red Cross, so here are some specific, local, hands-on options:

Firstly, nearly all Katrina victims heading into Texas will pass through Orange, which is Rafe Colburn's home town. In comments to that entry, Rafe's mum, who is working with local relief efforts, provides some addresses to which you can send some money. These are churches and I'm an atheist, but ideological differences shouldn't matter when there are people hungry and cold:

Orange Christian Services
2518 W. Park Ave Orange, Texas 77632
(409) 886-0938

Salvation Army, Orange Chapter
1950 Martin Luther King Dr.
Orange, Texas
(409) 883-4232

Orange Red Cross
908 Pine Ave
Orange, Texas 77632
(409) 883-2322

(Karen Colburn says:) My church is committed to serve these people for however long it takes.
Our address is:
First Presbyterian Congregation of the Church in Orange
Rev. Sam Knight, Pastor
902 Green Ave.
Orange, Texas 77632
(409) 883-2097

Secondly, my pal Brad is organizing an underpants drive:

Who doesn't love underpants? I love underpants. You know who would really love underpants? People who don't have any underpants.

Here's the deal: Thousands of folks affected by Hurricane Katrina are being evacuated to shelters in Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois for who knows how long. Generous people have donated clothing and other supplies for them, but there's a serious shortage of clean undergarments for women, men and children.

Click here to donate cash via PayPal and DropCash. I'll be purchasing and drop-shipping as many clean, packaged undergarments as possible. They'll go directly to folks who fled the hurricane-affected areas and are currently being cared for at relief centers in St. Louis; Belleville, Illinois; and Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. [...]

I'm also taking care of the PayPal fees, so your entire gift will go directly to underpants. Cross my...er, heart.

If you don't have a paypal account, you can email me (sennomaATfastmailDOTfm) and we'll work something out.

Update: Me = dum. You can put money into Brad's undies with any charge card (you don't need to have your own paypal account in order to add money to someone else's). If you don't even have a charge card, then send me a carrier pigeon and we'll work something out.