Local group to help people impacted by Indonesian earthquake

PHOENIX (KSAZ/AP) -- People in parts of Indonesia are still dealing with the aftermath of an earthquake on August 5th that killed at least 98 people.

The death toll includes some who perished inside buildings that had been weakened by an earlier July 29 quake on the tourist island of Lombok. Rescuers haven't reached all of the devastated areas and there are fears the death toll could climb.

In Phoenix, nearly 9,000 miles away from Indonesia, an organization named "Food for the Hungry" is trying to step up.

"We go into disaster responses," said the organization's CEO, Gary Edmonds. "Sometimes we'll put search teams in three, search and rescue, literally, to help people survive."

The group first started helping back in 2004, after a tsunami killed hundreds of thousands of people.

"When the Asia tsunami happened in 2004, we communicated with the City of Phoenix and the City of Phoenix stepped up at that time and partnered with us, and connected with the community," said Edmonds.

Edmonds says every disaster to the area is a tough one, and following an initial assessment, the group hopes to send supplies for the recovery effort.

The Associated Press (AP) contributed to this report.