PHOTO BY GABE WOLF Houston resident Alajandra Lopez, 3, sleeps in the Church of the Hills youth complex Saturday afternoon as family members relax. The church served meals and provided a place to sleep for coastal residents who fled Hurricane Ike last week. As Hurricane Ike approached the Texas coast, several Houston-area families seeking shelter immediately knew where to turn: Lometa.

Church of the Hills opened its buildings Thursday evening to the first wave of evacuees, who numbered about 40 at the church's busiest point during the weekend. Many had stayed at the church after Hurricane Rita in September 2005, when they could not find lodging elsewhere in the state.

"We feel privileged that they would want to return," church member James Summers said.

Although some evacuees had returned home by Saturday afternoon, air mattresses still occupied much of the floor space at Church of the Hills' youth complex on Railway Street. Some coastal residents, seated in lawn chairs, chatted outdoors in the shade, while those inside the complex relaxed in front of a television or gathered near the kitchen.

Godofredo Carranza, of south Houston, arrived in Lometa on Friday with 18 family members, who caravanned in four vehicles. His sister-in-law, Monica Lopez, traveled with seven others to Church of the Hills after Hurricane Rita, and family members quickly decided to phone the church to ask for shelter as Hurricane Ike approached.

"They said, 'They were good to us the first time, so we've got to go back,'" Carranza said of his family's decision to drive to Lometa.

About 20 or 25 Church of the Hills members volunteered with cooking, picking up supplies and making other arrangements for evacuees, Summers said. Volunteers provided hot breakfasts and evening meals, along with sandwiches and snacks throughout the day, for evacuees at the church's main location on U.S. Highway 183. Two rooms at the youth complex served as makeshift bunk rooms.

Food donations, including fried chicken meals, came from community members and from the Lampasas County Ministerial Alliance. Church of the Hills also distributed some of the items it received Tuesday in a shipment for the food bank the church operates in Lometa.

"Most of the church has come over," pastor Kevin Martin said. "A lot of people have really stepped up."

Most visitors to the Lometa church came from the Houston area or outlying towns like Baytown, Bay City and El Campo. A Galveston man who had returned home by Saturday afternnon had heard seven feet of water was standing in his neighbor's house.

Carranza said some family members who stayed in south Houston could be without electricity for 10 days or more. Carranza and the relatives he traveled with to Lometa were trying to decide on Sunday whether to drive back home.

Although five-year-old Jose Ruiz said he was ready to return to kindergarten, not all the children in the family were in a hurry to depart for home.

"They're actually having a lot of fun," Carranza said. "This is like a field trip to them."

Evacuees hardly played all day during their stay, though. From cleaning to washing dishes, those who sought shelter also contributed to the church, Summers said. During their stay in 2005, some evacuees mowed grass and cut weeds around the facility.

"They're just extremely grateful people," Summers said. "You're happy to do something to help people but especially for those who are appreciative."

Ms. Lopez said she and her relatives appreciated Church of the Hills' hospitality, which included trips to the store to buy medicine for an elderly family member.

"We're very grateful for the people who have let us stay here a few days," Ms. Lopez said.

In Lampasas, Rusty Taylor is planning a trip to South Texas to deliver cash donations, building supplies and personal-care items.

Rebuilding efforts will be offered through Nehemiah's Vision, an organization based in Vidor that assists those who have lost their homes in natural disasters.

Personal items needed include blankets, pillows, household items and health aids.

Volunteers also are needed to help with rebuilding efforts, either short- or long-term.

"These people have lost so much," Taylor said. "They need things yesterday."

Those who wish to donate can phone Don or Jo Taylor at 556- 3750, or Rusty Taylor at (254) 368-6526, or stop by New Covenant Church.