O.C. Religious, Aid Groups Gear Up to Send Relief to Kosovo Refugees

Orange County religious groups and relief organizations are mobilizing to send food, clothes, medical supplies and prayers to Kosovo refugees.

Many of the county’s Islamic centers will hold special prayer services and “dollar campaigns” at mosques today, according to the Islamic Society of Orange County. Cash donations will help purchase emergency items for refugees of war-torn Kosovo, said spokeswoman Jihan Assaf.

“The purpose is to have a special prayer for all of the people in need there, as well as show support for the allies and their efforts,” Assaf said.

At least one shipment of blankets--packed in a 40-foot-long container--has already arrived in Pristina, Yugoslavia, according to Bill Barta, a spokesman for International Aid Ministries in Fullerton. The agency needs donations to help pay for shipments of medicine and food, he said. Each shipment costs about $5,000,

“We know that it is very cold there, and the people will soon be in need of medical supplies and more blankets,” Barta said. “We want to get as much as we can over to them before the crisis worsens.”