11:47 AM CDT on Wednesday, August 31, 2005

By Jeff McShan / 11 News

Evacuees and those taking care of them need your help. Even the heart of Houston may not be big enough to help everyone who needs it.

In their hotel rooms on Houston's northside, the evacuees watch rescue after rescue.

These evacuees from New Orleans are about to be forced to evacuate again and they can't afford to stay.

"We're doing what we have to do in order to survive. I mean, any help we can get we would be thankful for it," says New Orleans resident Terry Harris.

That's because these families from St. Bernard Parish are quickly running out of money.

Many of them here have medical needs, like a little child that they say is suffering from cancer.

On the other end of town, Hilton Koch is trying to come up with a way to help.

He owns Hilton's Furniture and is also from New Orleans.

Behind his showroom he has a massive warehouse under construction that is just about done. It is supposed to house new furniture..

"I never ever imagined we would use this as a shelter, but I always thought in the back of my mind that one day we would be able to do something to really, really make a difference in people's lives. And the time is now, Yes sir, the time is now," he says.

Hilton is working with Houston's Red Cross to try and coordinate this effort. He believes he can accommodate 400 to 500 people.

He and his good friend Dennis Laviage, from C & D Scrap Metal, plan to fill the 40,000 square foot facility with hundreds of bunk beds and more.

"Did Jeff tell you one of my buddies called and they're going to throw him out of one of the hotels here in the next day or so? We'll make sure that doesn't happen. We can handle that," Koch says.

That friend is Marty Myers. "We called home. Everything is full of water. The houses are full, money is not there," says Myers.

It's an awful situation to be in. "Everybody don't know what to do or which way to go or who to call," he says.

For the moment, these good folks from New Orleans are staying at a hotel near the airport, waiting for shelters to open. Most likely, they are going to be homeless for months.

It is very difficult to speak with the people in the shelters who have been through this devastation. Most of the people at the shelter on N. Wayside have come from hotels. They have nothing. They have no money. The shelter is looking for cots, baby food, baby clothes, pillows and anything that a toddler could use.

The help from Houston keeps coming.

Jim "Mattress Mac" McIngvale says Hurricane Katrina evacuees are welcome to spend the night in his Gallery Furniture store.

The store is in northwest Houston in the 6000 block of I-45.

Evacuees can also get a shower, a free meal and a mattress to sleep on.

Just go to the store around 10 p.m. at night and stay until it opens in the morning.

Memorial Drive United Methodist Church is opening its doors to evacuees, offtering free hot lunches.

The lunches will be served in the church's gymnasium from 11a.m. until 1 p.m. Wednesday through this coming Friday.this morning.

There is also a need for volunteers at the church. Call 713-468-8356to volunteer.