Cots at a Texas shelter. Photos courtesy American Red Cross/Peter Teahen.

Homero Ponce-Lopez visits with shelter client.

Red Cross volunteer Mar Obiason provides a comfort kit to KenDerick Akline, age 2 at the Red Cross shelter in Dallas TX. This photo is available to the media for distribution. Courtesy Virginia Hart/American Red Cross.

Brittany Piert and son Tyrin Washington, age 1, arrive at the Dallas Convention Center Red Cross Shelter after a long trip from Beaumont TX.

Daeshawn Lewis, Kalib and Arthur Martin share a moment with Jana Sweeny of the Red Cross in the shelter in Baton Rouge, Louisiana as Hurricane Gustav rages outside.

Jana Sweeny of the Red Cross goes for a walk with Alexandra and Ryan Ramirez through the evacuation shelter located at the Dutchtown High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Hurricane Gustav is raging outside with howling wind and torrential rain.

Red Cross volunteer Dawna Morris holds Britnia Shaden, 23 months, at a West Livingston School shelter in Denham Springs, LA.

September 15, 2008. Wallisville, Texas. People are often stunned when they see how the floodwater picks items up in one room and deposits them in another. A storm surge damages twice – once as it rushes in and then again as it rushes back to sea. Photographer: Gene Dailey/American Red Cross

September 12, 2008 --- San Antonio, TX. Raymond McGee, age 13, helps the Red Cross volunteers serve lunch at the shelter where he is staying.

September 8, 2008. Red Cross volunteer Gene Dailey comforts Linda Sheppard. Photographer: Talia Frenkel/American Red Cross

You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like the Hurricanes of 2008, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund . You can log-on to www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish) to make a donation. You can also use your cell phone to donate $5 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund by text messaging they keyword "GIVE" to "2HELP" (24357). You can send multiple donations depending on your carrier. Contributions will appear on monthly bills or be debited from a pre-paid account balance. All applicable text rates apply.