A special Dharma Assembly was held at the Southern California Chapter of the United International World Buddhism Association Headquarters (UIWBAH) in Monterey Park, California to practice the Dharma for those who perished and are suffering as a result of Hurricane Katrina. A similar ceremony was held at Hua Zang Si (temple) in San Francisco. At the assembly in southern California, Dharma Teacher Long Hui, the abbess of Hua Zang Si, announced the formation of the United Relief Committee to help victims of this disaster.