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Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Father Michael O'Connell held a news conference to discuss the recovery efforts. (MPR Photo/Tom Scheck)

Minnesotans are gearing up to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina in a variety of ways. Relief organizations are asking mostly for money to help those in need. Meanwhile other groups are offering their services to help those in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Minneapolis, Minn. — The hurricane relief efforts kicked up a notch after officials along the Gulf Coast said thousands may be dead and survivors are in desperate need of essentials like water and food.

"It really is all hands on deck at this point," said Chris Burns with the St. Paul chapter of the American Red Cross.

He says his chapter alone has sent eight volunteers to help with recovery efforts. They're also preparing to send 12 more volunteers in the coming days.

"Right now everyone is doing the same thing...mass care," Burns said. "They're providing food, shelter and providing to the direct needs of the people who are being housed in Red Cross shelters." The Red Cross isn't the only organization that has sent people to help with the recovery efforts. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has sent five employees to help clear debris. The employees are part of a 20-person team that also includes staff from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The governor's office issued a news release saying a C-130 cargo plane and a crew from the Minnesota Air National Guard is on its way to the Gulf region after picking up pumping equipment in Wisconsin.

Fire fighters are also being mobilized to help with the efforts. St. Paul Deputy Fire Chief Mike Hogan says the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a request asking for any available firefighters to help with the recovery. He says the city has six firefighters ready to go.

"They were calling for career firefighters to go down and be willing to be put in whatever best position or to utilize their skills as necessary," Hogan said. "They stated that they would be working in the communities. That they would be leaving soon, sleeping on hard ground, eating Meals Ready to Eat and will be asked to work long hours with little sleep for up to 30 days."

Hogan says he's waiting for FEMA to contact him to see if the six fire fighters are needed.

As skilled professionals and trained volunteers are being mobilized to help with the recovery efforts, others are donating money and food. John Livingston, food bank director of the Twin Cities based Second Harvest Heartland, says his organization has 68,000 pounds of food ready to be shipped to the Gulf Coast. He says they're sending ready to eat meals and snacks such as Pop-Tarts and granola bars. He says they're also sending paper plates and plastic utensils to the area.

Livingston says his organization is ready and willing to send more food to the region but says it will come at the expense of Minnesota's food shelves.

"The food that we are sending out for the disaster response is food that we would normally distribute here to the food shelves and people of Minnesota," Livingston said. "We're hoping that people in the state will step up and help us replenish those supplies."

Other relief organizations are also asking Minnesotans to provide financial donations. The Red Cross, the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities are just a few of the many organizations that are helping with the disaster.

Faith communities in Minneapolis are also coordinating a relief fund to help with the tragedy. Leaders from several different religions held a news conference on a bridge just above the Mississippi River. They called for a weekend of prayer and support for the Hurricane victims. Father Michael O'Connell with the Basilica of St. Mary and Church of the Ascension says churches, synagogues, temples and mosques will be asking members to donate to help the people 1300 miles down the Mississippi River.

"It's so terribly important for us on this end of the river to reach down to the Gulf Coast and New Orleans," O'Connell said. "I think it's all about us extending our hands and our hearts, our money and our prayers to all of those people in their most desperate situation. I'm very confident that people will be generous."

O'Connell says the Minneapolis Foundation will collect and administer the donations. The group will meet next week to discuss the best way to use the money.