Tragedy has struck, with unusual and repeated ferocity, in Samoa, the Philippines and Indonesia this week. Thousands are reeling from quake, tsunami and storm-wrought devastation.

And as they always do, Hawai'i residents are feeling the impulse to reach out and help their Pacific neighbors. Many, especially in the Islands' close-knit Samoan and Filipino communities, have family connections and may have a route to get help to where it's most needed.

Most of us, however, do not, so a little consideration will make sure efforts to assist don't create burdens for relief crews.

For example, Aloha Medical Mission has experience and systems in place for bringing in and distributing supplies; the government of American Samoa can execute a food drive effectively in the homeland.

But many nongovernmental organizations have found they can do much more to help with monetary contributions rather than donations of clothes, food or other goods. Coralie Matayoshi, who heads the Honolulu office of the American Red Cross, said her organization can deliver more relief if it can use cash to buy in bulk precisely what an area needs. Money also isn't consumed by the cost of transportation and warehousing, she added.

In any case, the donor should make sure any gift will help, not hinder, a relief agency's mission.

Some outlets for giving are listed here; many more will open in the coming days. People will find other ways, through a favorite charity, to lend a hand.

Whatever route is chosen, what matters is that the instinct to give, to reach out in times of crisis, survives in Hawai'i, even in hard economic times.

This is exactly what neighbors do for each other.