Christian Brothers High School, Memphis, Tennessee enrolled 29 students from the Gulf Coast area providing them free tuition and books.  Currently, 14 students are still enrolled in Memphis as many have returned to their homes or to Baton Rouge. Several collections from the students and parents allowed for significant contributions to the Red Cross and Catholic Charities. In addition, parents donated gift cards to the families so they could purchase personal items from Target, Wal-Mart and other stores. CBHS also hired a “displaced” counselor from Br. Martin High School in New Orleans whose home was destroyed by Katrina. He has been working closely with the new enrollees and their families.  

The Totino-Grace Brothers' Community, Fridley, Minnesota, made a gift of $200 to the national office for the Katrina relief efforts.

The students and faculty of St. Joseph High School, Westchester, Illinois, created a committee to engage in efforts to assist all those affected. After hearing of the Hurricane Fund sponsored by the Christian Brothers, the committee began organizing an event to raise money. In addition to ongoing collections, St. Joseph hosted a “Day of Music for Hurricane Relief.”  On October 8, 2005 after the last home football game, community members and members of the St. Joseph family bonded together in celebration of the music of New Orleans. Faculty and students of St. Joseph transformed the front of the building into a “Salute to Bourbon Street.” The afternoon began with the Arts Alive Jazz Band playing as well as student jazz musicians Bourbon Street in Westchester.  Students and parents club members sold French Quarter bakery and beads.  This event generated close to $1,000.00 that is being sent to the effort.

Students, staff and parents from Cretin-Derham Hall, St. Paul, Minnesota, collected $4,462.36  in Hurricane Katrina donations.

San Miguel Back of the Yards, Chicago, Illinois, has collected donations at Mass each week to donate to the relief fund. Several teachers ran a marathon for the cause, and the school collected pledge money from students. Nearly $500.00 has been raised so far.

Bishop Kelley High School, Tulsa, Oklahoma, contacted Christian Brothers Conference the day after the hurricane. The school enrolled one student and offered to take more. The school also hired one teacher from De La Salle in New Orleans. The mission collection at the Mass of the Holy Spirit was sent to the Christian Brothers Conference in Landover, Maryland.

Christian Brothers College High School in Saint Louis, Missouri, collected $3,200.00, which was sent to Christian Brothers Conference in Landover, Maryland,  for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. In addition, eight large boxes of school supplies were sent to St. Joseph School in Ponchetoula, LA. Three boxes of travel size toiletries were collected for the Little Bit Foundation for relief efforts.

At the San Miguel Middle School of Minneapolis, the students collected more than $200.00  for Lasallian schools in New Orleans and continue to pray for all affected by the hurricanes.  

Saint Patrick High School of Chicago, Illinois, through its Campus Ministry office, a student and staff collection was made for toiletries of various kinds. Boxes were delivered to Montini Catholic High School of Lombard, Illinois, for shipment to New Orleans. The mission collections from late August through September were designated for Katrina relief. $2,000.00 from that effort was recently sent to the Christian Brothers Conference. The Brothers' community sent $1,500. Saint Patrick received a senior student from St. Augustine H.S. in New Orleans conducted by the Josephite Fathers and Brothers. He and his mother made it to Chicago with nothing after spending three days on their rooftop. The school made a monetary contribution to help with immediate needs and gives a monthly "stipend" for them to get basic necessities.  He is attending Saint Patrick tuition-free.

Saint Mary's Press of Winona, Minnesota, made a cash contribution to the Christian Brothers Conference, Hurricane Katrina fund, to help in the immediate aid of Lasallian ministries. Saint Mary's Press is providing assistance to schools and parishes in the affected areas by offering special nominal pricing for the replacement of texts destroyed by the hurricane. SMP is replacing copies of The Catholic Youth Bible ™ that were destroyed. These Bibles are being provided free of charge through The Catholic Youth Bible™ Grant Program.

In addition to the efforts of Archbishop O'Hara High School, Kansas City, Missouri, the Brothers' community sent a check for $1,000.00 for Katrina relief.

Christian Brothers Services of Romeoville, Illinois, conducted several fund raising activities on September 30th. As a result, the group sent $1,464 to American Red Cross, $1,039 to Salvation Army, $855 to St. Vincent de Paul Society, $1,470 to Catholic Charities, and $644 to Christian Brothers Conference for a total of $5,472.

Lewis University of Romeoville, Illinois, set up the Hurricane Relief Coordinating Committee composed of students, faculty and staff. The committee has launched the Lewis Gulf Coast Campaign and raised $5,000 with a goal of collecting $25,000 during the current academic year. They decided to “adopt” two schools: De La Salle New Orleans and St. Peter the Apostle in Pascagoula, MS, which is one of six diocesan elementary schools that were heavily damaged. Money raised has been distributed to both schools and other organizations.

The students and faculty of Montini Catholic High School of Lombard, Illinois, raised over $5,000 and filled a semi trailer with canned goods and water. The trailer left for the Gulf Coast on September 14th. The Romano family of Oak Brook donated the truck. $3,200 of the cash donations were used to purchase sorely needed infant items. Lombard area merchants sold vital supplies at cost or below. The supplies went in vans with nurses and doctors to church centers in the Gulf region.

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota had several fund raising events to assist with the response to Hurricane Katrina. These included $3,300 from a Hurricane Relief Jazz Benefit, $250 from collection jars, $250 from a rock concert for Red Cross, over $1,000 from soup and salad potluck lunches offered by faculty and staff, $400 from two campus Mass collections, and $1,000 from a Cajun-style Soul Dinner. The university accepted three displaced students from Loyola and University of New Orleans.

Christian Brothers University of Memphis, Tennessee, provided living accommodations for three families from the Gulf area including an extended family of seven. University students held several fund raising events and conducted a prayer vigil, food drive and supper to respond to the need. Two people remain on the campus and have decided to relocate to Memphis. The Admissions Office enrolled eleven displaced students and arranged special financial packages for them.

This report is based on available information. Updated information should be forwarded to Brother Michael Flaherty at flaherty3247@sbcglobal.net