Saratogan Vetriselvi Rajamanikam was in Chicago when the tsunami struck. After the initial flurry of anxious phone calls to family and friends in India, she came back to Saratoga determined to help.

Rajamanikam is the president of the California Tamil Academy, a language school at De Anza College. She immediately began networking with the contacts that she had built up at the school over the years. Many of them are from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a region hard hit by the disaster.

"I was very emotional in the first few hours after the disaster. I fielded a lot of calls and e-mails," she said.

Many talked about the kind of help they wanted to provide. "But there was a lack of information," said Rajamanikam.

She called the local Red Cross chapter for help. They moved fast.

On Jan. 2, with the help of the Red Cross, a seminar was organized at De Anza.

It was an effort to give local communities more information. About 16 charitable and social organizations with ties to southern Asia showed up at the seminar. Red Cross officials talked about the danger of diseases in the aftermath of the tsunami. Two doctors from Stanford Hospital—Ann Arvin and Harvey Cohen—also spoke at the seminar.

"We talked about long-term plans. We talked about what we should do and what we should not," said Rajamanickam. She said that the doctors from Stanford had promised help in terms of medical supplies once more information is made available.

In the first few days after the disaster, Rajamanickam had also e-mailed the Saratoga Lions Club.

Marlene Duffin, a member of the club, was quick to respond.

Duffin said that she had been in touch with club members and had already started the process of raising money. "A lot of people are comfortable donating to us. We do not have any paid employees. So everything that's raised goes to the relief effort," said Duffin.

Some months ago, Duffin had planned a trip to the island country of Sri Lanka. She's still going, but now it is an opportunity to help and reach out directly.

"By some strange coincidence, a Lions Club member from Sri Lanka e-mailed us for help," said Duffin.

She said that she would use the visit to interact with local relief organizations in southern Asia to better understand the needs of the affected people there. "I was surprised that anything could be so devastating," said Duffin, who leaves for Sri Lanka at the end of January.

The Saratoga Lions Club has also handed over a check to Rajamanikam, who left for the southern Indian city of Madras on Jan. 4. Rajamanikam said that the money would be given to a local Lions Club in South India. "I will also be trying to help kids who have been orphaned." She also plans to fund a boarding school in the region to help these kids.

There are many others in Saratoga who are trying to help.

Mohini Balakrishnan, a Realtor who lives in Saratoga, said that she plans to sign up for training so that she can volunteer at the local Red Cross chapter. "The bureaucracy involved in all this is disturbing. I think the Red Cross is best equipped to deal with the situation," she said.

Saratogan Amita Shenoi has already donated $1,000 to a local charity in South India. Touched by her gesture, her brother wrote back from India saying: "I must thank you all profusely, on behalf of the scores of nameless people who will be helped immensely by your very generous contribution, not only materially but also by the sublime energies that come with it."

For more information on how to donate to the Saratoga Lions Club, call Marlene Duffin at 408.867.1410.