Many are wondering how to help. I feel trapped in my recliner watching images on television. As a southern boy who spent part of my childhood in Mississippi, I feel a desire to roll up my sleeves to haul debris. As a father with small children, I have my own responsiblities and obligation here at home. The best I can do right now is open my wallet for relief funds. With so many charity scams out there, it pays to be wary though.

The US goverment has set up a webpage on FirstGov.org to help those who are victims (in case you kept your laptop and broadband connection with you through the hurricane) and those seeking to help victims. They list charity organizations accepting disaster funds, plus a link to CharityNavigator.org. Charity Navigator bills itself as "your guide to intelligent giving." They give specific tips on avoiding the people who wish to profit from your goodwill and others' misery. Also they rate the charities on organizational efficiency and organizational capacity and show how they stack up to other similar charities.

My church had initially set up a plan to accept donations that would pass on to another larger group, then on to churches within the gulf region. I felt like this would take too long for my money to impact anything while so many admin hands passed around the checks. A decision was later made to collect money via mail and during weekend sermons to go to the Salvation Army and Samaritan's Purse. We're also looking at opportunities to help long term relief projects.

I'm doing what I did when the tsunamis hit and giving directly to the American Red Cross. I'll also looking to more hands-on ways to help. Several refugees are coming into my homestate of Texas (Astrodome in Houston and Reunion Arena in Dallas).