From a reader:

Amy,  maybe you can pass this along…

Many Catholic schools and parishes sell scrip/gift cards as fundraisers for their programs.  Because many local relief agencies are overwhelmed with bulky "stuff", however necessary, my parish is encouraging purchase of scrip from the school to send to local relief agencies.  Gift cards requested are:

Target, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Sears, Macy’s, JC Penney

Home Depot & Lowe’s (especially in Mississippi)

Office Depot & Staples (school supplies & office supplies needed by relief agencies)

Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS

Denny’s (a lot of people are on the road trying to get to family)

Exxon/Mobil, Chevron/Texaco, BP/Amoco & Shell

Any long distance phone card

Grocery stores (if you live in the areas accepting evacuees and are contributing locally. I can’t get Winn-Dixie, Kroger or Publix cards in California).

The cards may be sent to the local branches of Catholic Charities & St. Vincent DePaul in the areas providing relief.  They may also be sent to Cards of Care, which is a national Catholic youth response for the hurricane survivors.  Their address is:

Cards of Care

c/o Disciples Now Ministries

601-A West Drive

Glen Burnie, MD 21061-2034

And while we all want to help the hurricane victims, please remember that people responding to large disasters like this often forget the poor and needy in their own communities.  Local charities continue to need our help, as well.