One couple is collecting clothes and money, and will bring these personally to Chennai, India, where some 50,000 people are thought to have been made homeless.
For Singaporeans Shoba and Srinivas Vadrevu , Chennai is like a second home.
They visit it up to twice a year and were actually on their way back to Singapore when the tsunami struck.
"The beach that was swamped that we saw on TV, was a beach that I had been to with my kids just a few days before," said Mrs Vadrevu , a housewife.
"At that time of the morning in Chennai there are so many people playing on the beach, going for a walk on the beach. The first thought that struck me is that it could have been me."
The couple were badly shaken by the news of the thousands dead and many more displaced.
After thinking of ways they could help, they decided to make a personal effort to reach out to the disaster victims.
Said Mrs Vadrevu , "My husband and I both felt strongly about this, if we contacted people we knew personally and made it easy for them to make that donation. Even if we can just get 10 people to come forward, it's something. It's a drop in the ocean but it's something."
Mr Vadrevu , a telecommunications executive, said, "To immunise a person it costs about S$3; to feed a person for the whole day, two decent meals and some milk, would cost you about S$1. So every dollar we're able to generate additionally to what other people, goes a long way in helping in India."
The couple has sent SMSs and e-mails to a hundred of their friends and so far they say over 50 percent of them have responded.
Before they leave for India next week, they would like to collect 150 kilogrammes of clothes and S$4,000 worth of donations.
So far, the couple has met about a third of their target.
Some friends, like neighbour Krisvene Kumar, responded almost immediately.
"Yesterday, when we were watching the news, me and my husband decided to contribute but we really do not know how to go about. And it was very fortunate that we received a mail from Shoba, and we were very glad to contribute," she said.
Mr Vadrevu will be making the trip to Chennai to deliver the donations on Sunday.
If you are interested in donating money, or clothes and blankets you can contact the Vadrevu family at 9638 3236, or by e-mail at shobha@pacific.net.sg. - CNA
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