Lowcountry families with Gulf Coast ties are reeling in the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina while others have offered their hearts and hands to help, remembering the assistance that was offered after Hurricane Hugo struck Charleston 16 years ago.

More than 50 federal, state, local and help agency employees and volunteers are already in the disaster area and more than 100 are waiting for Federal Emergency Management Agency instructions on where to go. They are bringing everything from rolling emergency rooms and airboats to food and water.

"They've helped us out in the past and we're reciprocating," said Lt. Shawn Livingston of Mount Pleasant Police.

Churches are calling on their congregations. The Most Rev. Robert J. Baker, bishop of Charleston, announced that a collection for hurricane relief, coordinated through Catholic Charities USA, will be taken up in all parishes in the diocese Tuesday and Wednesday.

COMPLETE KATRINA COVERAGE

"The plight of the people in Katrina's path, especially those in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida, is a call to solidarity with our brothers and sisters," Baker said.

Gov. Mark Sanford asked the S.C. National Guard to get people and gear ready to roll for relief efforts, and asked state department heads to work with employees who are Red Cross-certified disaster service volunteers to help them participate in the effort. He urged all South Carolinians to reach out in whatever way they can.

"No one here will ever forget the outpouring of support that came from all over the country when Hurricane Hugo hit our state back in 1989. South Carolina is a caring and generous state, and we're ready to return the favor," Sanford said.

Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Pete Brooks said members of a military police company, a water purification company and a transport unit were among those checking their equipment.

Meanwhile, utilities were packing gear, too. South Carolina Electric & Gas put together a 100-member "storm team" for dispatch early Friday to the Mississippi coast, said spokeswoman Cathy Love.

People who are themselves being helped are stepping forward. Single parents with Florence Crittenton Programs of South Carolina on Wednesday put together care packages to send today to Gulf Coast group homes and domestic violence shelters. Some, such as Linda Weaver of West Ashley, are individuals looking for family members and will help along the way.

Weaver drove her small SUV toward Tuscaloosa, Ala., Wednesday, trying to reach her sister, Sue Weaver Zenkeno. Zenkeno, who grew up on Johns Island, and her husband evacuated from New Orleans, reaching Baton Rouge only after 20 hours of struggling through flooded roads to Tuscaloosa. Both the car and truck had run out of gas and flooded out.

Weaver's SUV was packed with fuel, food and items, such as toiletries, duct tape, tarps and tents. Weaver carried money for her sister and equipment to get their vehicles going. "She saw their neighborhood on television; it was under water," Weaver said. After she gets them back on their way to family in Charleston, Weaver plans to keep driving. "I'm going to take these supplies as far down in Alabama as I can, stop and give them to whoever needs them."

Charleston Sen. Robert Ford, a native of New Orleans, is asking everyone to donate $5 a week to the American Red Cross for the next five years. Ford said he will go with volunteers there, but he will not find his childhood home. "It was there three days ago, but it's not there now," Ford said. He is also asking churches to collect blankets, water and nonperishable food for the Red Cross every week and urging people to complete three days of training and go with the Red Cross to the Big Easy.

Among 26 North Charleston police and firefighters leaving Friday for Mississippi, Police Sgt. Rick Keys said he knew when he woke up Monday, as the storm hit, that he would be going to the Gulf Coast.

"I was here for Hugo," he said. "It was four days before I even got to lay down. Hugo was a walk in the park compared to this one." He is scheduled to stay two weeks and be relieved, but like others, he didn't know exactly how long he might be there.

"It's going to take months for them to recover," Police Chief Jon Zumalt said.

Bobbie McAdams of North Charleston can only sit and worry about her son, Michael McAdams and his family. Before the storm hit, the 44-year-old was in a hospital in Gulfport, Miss., being treated for leukemia. His wife Jay Lynn and four children had decided to stay near him. On Wednesday, McAdams still had not heard from them. She quit watching television after seeing the hospital partially destroyed.

"Their home floods every time it rains. Now this. Now I don't know where the children are. It was heartbreaking not to be able to go see him. Now I can't reach the hospital," she said. She contacted the Red Cross for help in finding her family.

It's an avenue many will turn to, and Trident United Way quickly donated a $25,000 check to the Hurricane Katrina relief fund of the Red Cross.

A PARTIAL LIST OF LOWCOUNTRY AID

-- U.S. Coast Guard: Deploying cutter USS Oak. 21 "Aids to Navigation" team members from four Southeastern states, including the Charleston base, to repair channel markers and reopen ports to get relief supplies in.

-- U.S. Air Force: 4 C-17 crews on standby

-- American Red Cross Carolina Lowcountry Chapter: 5 disaster relief workers sent. Training under way for 80 volunteers. Assisting 12 evacuated families, prepared to open a shelter. Training session Wednesday. Volunteers should prepare for two-week assignment, 764-2323 ext. 364.

-- Charleston County: Police, medical, hazardous material, search and rescue and divers are available to respond.

-- Berkeley County: 2 sheriff's deputies being deployed. 15 to 20 personnel are available, including a paramedic team and trailer capable of treating 500 patients, an ATV, a hazardous materials trailer, and three quick-response emergency vehicles.

-- Dorchester County: 15-man police team with two boats, an ATV, a Humvee, and divers are available to respond.

-- City of Charleston: 55 police officers deployed with equipment from airboats to drinking water. Fire and public service department employees are available.

-- North Charleston: 16 police officers and 10 firefighters deploying Friday with electric generators, cooling equipment, hazardous material and cleanup gear, a mobile communications unit and a self-contained crime lab.

-- Mount Pleasant: 16 police and firefighters are leaving today.

-- Summerville: 5 firefighters who are trained in urban search and rescue and dealing with hazardous materials were on standby Wednesday afternoon, preparing to head to New Orleans when called.

LOCATING FAMILY

-- American Red Cross Disaster Welfare, 843-764-2323 ext. 373.

HOW TO HELP

To find a reputable relief agency:

http://www.guidestar.org/. Put "hurricane disaster relief" in the Web site's search engine.

FEMA recommends

Donate cash to:

-- American Red Cross; 1-800-HELP NOW (435-7669) English, 1-800-257-7575 Spanish;

-- Operation Blessing; 1-800-436-6348

-- America's Second Harvest; 1-800-344-8070

-- Trident United Way; 843-740-9000 or tuwc@tuw.org

DONATE CASH TO AND VOLUNTEER WITH

-- Adventist Community Services; 1-800-381-7171

-- Catholic Charities, USA; (703) 549-1390 or http://www.catholic-doc.org/. Locally, 1-843-402-5415 or Catholic Charities, Hurricane Katrina Fund, 1662 Ingram Road, Charleston, S.C. 29407.

-- Christian Disaster Response; 941-956-5183 or 941-551-9554

-- Christian Reformed World Relief Committee; 1-800-848-5818

-- Church World Service; 1-800-297-1516

-- Convoy of Hope; 417-823-8998

-- Episcopal Relief and Development; Harmon Person, 766-8040

-- Lutheran Disaster Response; 800-638-3522

-- Mennonite Disaster Service ;717-859-2210

-- Nazarene Disaster Response; 888-256-5886

-- Presbyterian Disaster Assistance; 800-872-3283

-- Salvation Army; 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769)

-- Southern Baptist Convention - Disaster Relief; 1-800-462-8657, ext. 6440

-- United Methodist Committee on Relief; 1-800-554-8583

Or visit the Web site for the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster at: http://www.nvoad.org/