Local relief efforts gear up as more storms threaten

Gustav dealt only a glancing blow to Gulf Coast residents, but hurricanes Hanna, Ike and Josephine may throw knockout punches in the coming weeks. And because of those threats, concerned citizens donated relief supplies to a drop-off center in Northbrook today.

Arriving in typically suburban SUVs, people from Highland Park, Deerfield, Northbrook and surrounding towns, unloaded supplies destined for storm victims in New Orleans and beyond.

"People need to be helping people and doing it now," said Margi Bordo of Highland Park. The mother-of-two unloaded boxes of diapers, wipes and bottled water from her car. "We're privileged in this area. It's time to help out."

Bordo was one of hundreds of people to receive an e-mail alert from the office of U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk. The Republican congressman organized this latest relief effort.

In addition to private citizens, the call went out to schools and local business. By midday, the stack of supplies ranging from toothpaste to soup was mounting in a corporate parking lot along Skokie Boulevard. Volunteer drivers will make the nearly 15-hour trip to Louisiana starting this afternoon.

Kirk was thankful Gustav wasn't as devastating as Hurricane Katrina was in 2005, but noted nearly 2 million people had their lives disrupted in the evacuation. Many others are dealing with power outages and shortages of essential products.

"Thousands of people still need our support," he said.