Leveraging the power of bloggers.

Bloggers can do more than just spread the news and comment on events. We can use our voices to raise relief donations. Today is "Blog For Relief" day, when hundreds of bloggers are publicizing opportunities to donate to the relief effort. If you have a blog, read about the effort here at The Truth Laid Bear and add your voice to the call for aid. Instapundit is also providing publicity to the effort.

The relief charity I would like to call your attention to is Episcopal Relief and Development.

Episcopal Relief and Development is mobilizing immediate relief aid to the hurricane effected areas. This organization makes use of the existing church infrastructure in the area. Episcopalians provide aid and support to the whole community, not just to the members of this church, and the churches in the area provide ready points of distribution and coordination. The people who live in the community, even though they themselves are effected, can do a lot to help their neighbors if they have the resources. That's where you and I come in.

Here is a report on how the organization is responding right now.

Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) responded immediately by sending emergency funds to the Dioceses of Central Gulf Coast, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Western Louisiana to support immediate needs such as food, shelter and medical supplies.

Robert Radtke, president of ERD, described the hurricane's devastation as "tsunami-like."

"Authorities are locating people, rescuing them from houses, from rooftops," he said. "But our main concern is taking care of those persons who have been displaced or have lost their homes and everything they have."

The people most affected in any natural disaster are the poor, Radtke explained. "The people who have resources can get out of harm's way," he said. "Our priority is people living in poverty -- we're looking after the people who've been most drastically affected by this."

Here is their page for donations. They take the major credit cards and you don't need to be Episcopalian.

One way to speed relief to these areas is to mobilize the people who are already there. The churches of Mississippi. Alabama and Louisiana are already moving to provide relief to their own communities. You can help.

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