Pop star and actress Hilary Duff is being hailed a heroine by Hurricane Katrina charities after buying 200,000 meals for two refugee shelters in Houston, Texas.

Duff bought the meals through charity USA Harvest and they'll be shipped to the shelters, where victims of the 2005 storms are still struggling to recover from the disaster.

It's not the first time Duff has helped the victims of Hurricane Katrina through USA Harvest - she has carried out relief work with the charity.

USA Harvest chairman Stan Curtis says, "Hilary has set an extraordinary example with her generous contributions to the Gulf Coast victims of last year's tragic hurricanes.

"With her current contribution, Hilary will have donated over 2.7 million meals to the victims who still need these generous donations."

On the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in August (06), Duff travelled to New Orleans, Louisiana with Curtis to visit and aid victims of the hurricanes.