Charities USA is accepting cash donations as it develops its response to the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Donations can be made online at the Catholic Charities USA website at www.catholiccharitiesusa.org.

Donations also can be made by calling toll-free (800) 919-9338 or by mail to P.O. Box 17066, Baltimore, MD 21297-1066.

The Alexandria, Va.-based agency has begun working with state and local government disaster response agencies and charitable groups to meet emergency needs in communities in New Jersey and New York devastated by the late October storm.

A statement from the agency also said that assessments were under way to determine how the agency can best respond.

Several dioceses across the United States also have initiated collections of cash and emergency supplies for East Coast storm victims.

Information about resources needed and donations can also be made directly to Catholic Charities Long Island at www.catholic charities.cc, Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton at www.catholic charitiestrenton.org, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens at www.ccbq.org and Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New York at www.catholiccharitiesny.org.