HOUSTON -- Reds reliever Randy Keisler spent the better part of the past seven years living in Slidell, La. So when Hurricane Katrina hit the region, the news hit home to him.

Keisler and his wife, Jamie, who's from Slidell, are separated, but Keisler has been thinking about her and her family.

"They might have lost everything," Keisler said. "From what I've heard, Slidell is basically gone. They live on the lakefront, real close to Lake Pontchartrain. I'm praying for them. I feel bad, you know?"

It's a feeling going around, as businesses and organizations across the country are lending a hand to the relief effort.

The Reds are no different. The team announced Wednesday that it is partnering with Matthew 25: Ministries, an international humanitarian relief organization, to gather donations for those displaced by the hurricane.

At each of the club's 12 remaining home games at Great American Ball Park, barrels will be located at every gate, where fans can drop off canned food, cleaning supplies and personal hygiene products. All items should be new and in their original packaging.

"The plan is for us to bring 40 to 50 barrels, and our goal is to have all of them filled and overflowing after every game," said Patty Dilg, director of operations for Matthew 25: Ministries and coordinator of the relief project. "Then we'll sort the items, package them and have them ready to ship off."

Donations can also be made at the Reds administration offices, at 100 Main St., from Monday through Friday during normal business hours, beginning Tuesday.

"We're very excited about being able to take up this cause with the Reds," Dilg said. "Obviously, these folks lost the vast majority of their possessions and some may not have anything to go back to. We're hoping to do our part in helping the Greater Cincinnati area help out."

Katrina's damage has given reliever Josh Hancock some perspective.

His hometown of Tupelo, Miss., was not affected by the hurricane, but he said Elliot Brown, a former teammate of his at Auburn who lives near New Orleans, was hit hard.

"He called one of my friends and said, 'Everything's fine; the house got spared,'" said Hancock, who's been on the disabled list all season. "Ten minutes later, the levee breaks, and he lost everything. There are worse things in the world than what I've been going through."

Keisler can relate. He's spent the past few days keeping tabs on the news, with his wife and her family on his mind.

"I feel for them, and they're keeping me posted on what's going on," he said. "But they don't really know yet. They're stranded in Atlanta, watching TV."