JACOB KONST/Arizona Daily Wildcat Bilingual education junior Paty Gonzales, left, and education junior Jen Scherman chat over drinks at Starbucks on East University yesterday afternoon. Starbucks, along with other businesses in Tucson, are donating a portion of their earnings to the tsunami relief effort.

The unexpected tsunami, which hit Southeast Asia Dec. 26, has opened the hearts of UA student organizations in hopes of trying to help those who've lost their homes, family members and overall well-being.

Nearly 160,000 people have perished and an estimated five million are homeless from the earthquake and tsunami that struck Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India, among other countries, leaving survivors in need of basic essentials.

Assistance has been coming in from around the world, and now the UA wants to get involved, which has UA President Peter Likins taken aback.

"I see evidence all over campus to raise moneys. Even in my office, not through my initiative, but through the initiative of the staff of the seventh floor," Likins said. "It really surprised me that this kind of effort is going on all over campus, not because of the presidential declaration, but because people want to help out."

Ranjini Swaminathan, a computer science doctoral student, is part of the Association for India's Development, Inc. (AID), a U.S.-based voluntary non-profit development organization with more than 40 chapters across the United States.

The UA chapter is helping to direct funds to the survivors of the tsunami in hopes of bettering and restarting their lives for the long term and not just to get them back on their feet.

"These people have in a sense lost their livelihood, and so we're working on long-term projects to help them recover their homes and daily lives," Swaminathan said.

Swaminathan said volunteers who are part of the national AID program are in the thick of it in the countries most troubled by the tsunami. The volunteers report back to the local AID chapters in the United States and tell them what needs to be sent overseas as far as clothing, food and medicine among countless other essentials.

According to the AID Web site, a shipment can include blankets, mats, new and used clothing, cooking utensils and plates, rice, medicines, weighing machines and manometers for monitoring blood pressure.

The donations are pouring in rapidly, Swaminathan said, but more is needed to get life back to normal.

"Significantly more funds are needed to ensure speedy relief and long-term rehabilitation for the disaster-affected people. AID stresses the need for communities and individuals to give and donate," Swaminathan said. "There has been a great response from our volunteers, and many people are contacting us with offers to help. We will need all the help we can get."

Wafa Hakim and Srikanth Ramachandran, UA students from India, have set up two drop-off locations at the Law Library and the Student Recreation Center today where students can drop off donations to help out those affected by the tsunami.

Ramachandran, a management information systems student, said there will also be a manned collection point at a booth on the UA Mall and more drop-off locations are pending.

"There will be envelopes at the drop-off points where students can seal their donation check if they feel uncomfortable dropping just money," Ramachandran said in an e-mail.

The fundraising drive is expected to run through Jan. 21 with the help of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona.

Together, both Hakim, an economics graduate student, and Ramachandran, hope to garner enough funding from charitable UA students to send to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, World Care and UNICEF, who continually send money overseas to help the victims of the disaster.

"We're both from India and are very emotionally attached to the situation," Ramachandran said.

Holly Altman, outreach coordinator for UA Cares, said the UA Cares Web site has put up links to various organizations for donating money.

"This is the largest scale disaster I have ever known, and my heart goes out to all of the people who have been affected. It is a terribly sad situation," Altman said in an e-mail.

UA Cares is the name that was given to the university's annual workplace giving fundraising drive, Altman said in an e-mail. Each year, she said UA employees have the opportunity to donate one-time or payroll deduction gifts to any UA service or program area.

Altman said she is proud of the effort made by UA Cares and other organizations around campus, but said the effort will be an arduous process.

"I realize that rebuilding from the tsunami disaster will take many months and many years," Altman said in an e-mail.

"The UA community is extraordinarily generous and caring, and so many from campus are donating money, resources and time to the effort. I hope that we can all stay aware, informed and involved for the long term," Altman said.

Todd Horne, a detector engineer at Steward Observatory, has set up a collection bin for UA students, faculty and employees to donate boxes of vitamins and minerals inside the Steward Observatory to contribute to the victims of the tsunami.

"I have great sympathy for the relief effort, which is why I'm trying to get involved," he said.

Local businesses such as the Starbucks Coffee on University Boulevard have also contributed to tsunami relief efforts.

Danielle Comfort, assistant manager, said for every pound of Sumatra coffee purchased, Starbucks donates $2 to the CARE Foundation. As of last Friday, Comfort said Starbucks is accepting cash donations and credit donations from the Starbucks consumer card to be donated to the foundation.

In addition, Horne said local Sunflower Market stores have set up bins in accordance with the Cub Scout troop he leads. Tucsonans are asked to drop off boxes of vitamins and minerals in hopes to bring better nutrition to the women and children affected, he said.

"The grocery store basket was nearly half full after two days," Horne said.

Macayo's Mexican Kitchen donated 15 percent of yesterday's sales to the tsunami efforts through the International Response Fund of the American Red Cross.

"We're concerned and would like to help out the best way we can," said Reed Johnson, director of operations for Macayo's. "We're inviting everyone in the community, all of our friends, family and vendors to help us in making a profound donation."