Utahns join effort to aid Asia victims

Several local efforts to assist south Asia disaster victims include:

• Lemon Grass Thai Cuisine has donation boxes set up in its lobby and on Jan. 14, from 5 to 10 p.m., all of the restaurant's profits will be sent to aid missions, said owner David Chaisomboon, a native of Thailand.

The collection boxes currently set up at Lemon Grass, 327 W. 200 South, are for the Royal Thai Consulate General in Los Angeles and for the University of Utah Thai Student Association, which is sending money to the Thai Red Cross.

Chaisomboon said he's also willing to help English speakers search a Thai-language missing persons Web site if they are searching for loved ones.

For more information contact Chaisomboon at 596-1778.

• Salt Lake resident Kimberly Hunter is departing today to help relief efforts in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

Hunter is among hundreds of volunteer ministers from the Church of Scientology en route to areas hard-hit by the tsunami, said director of special affairs Lora Mengucci. About 100 volunteers are already on the ground, she said.

To contribute to or learn more about the Volunteer Ministers, visit www.volunteerministers.org.

• PROVO — The employees of Buyers Fund-Neighborhood Gold have pledged a $6,000 donation to the American Red Cross-International Response Fund for the disaster victims.

The donation is part of the Buyers Fund monthly Employee Choice Giving program. Each month the organization donates a total of $6,000 to three charities selected by employees. This month, employees unanimously voted to give all $6,000 to the tsunami relief efforts.

The nonprofit provides grants for down payments on home purchases.