- Announces Final Enrollment Numbers -
NEW YORK, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The September 11th Fund, created by The
New York Community Trust and United Way of New York City on September 11,
2001, announced that its final grant making and administrative activities will
cease in December 2004. Services being provided to those already enrolled
will continue to be delivered through January 2005, and no enrollment or
service deadline has been set for The 9/11 Mental Health and Substance Abuse
program created in cooperation with the American Red Cross.
"Three years later it's important to remember that in the weeks following
the attacks, sponsors and the Board of the September 11th Fund wisely
determined that while it was important to get emergency assistance to people
quickly in the form of cash, it was also necessary to preserve resources in
order to offer programs for the longer-term," observed Carol Kellermann, CEO
of The September 11th Fund. "Healing takes time -- and it involves many
different kinds of victims with diverse needs. We are grateful that the Fund's
more than two million donors supported our mission."
"No one could have imagined the magnitude of need on that tragic day in
September," said Franklin Thomas, Chairman of The September 11th Fund. "Every
day seemed to bring a new need, a new issue, and unanticipated complexity to
delivering assistance. By collaborating with government agencies, other
charities, and individuals who were affected, the Fund invented new ways of
helping people that hopefully will become models for coordinated assistance in
the future. All of this was made possible with the guidance and support of a
volunteer Board, to whom I express my profound gratitude."
To date, the Fund has helped more than 100,000 people:
* 3,628 family members received cash assistance
* 35,359 displaced workers received cash assistance
* 7,534 displaced residents received cash assistance
* 11,387 people who worked in Lower Manhattan received job training,
counseling and other services in the Employment Assistance program
* 19,688 people attended information sessions in English, Chinese and
Spanish about benefits available to victims of 9/11
* 463 displaced workers from Reagan National Airport received employment
and financial assistance
* 196,000 people called the September 11th Support hotline since
October 2001
* 227,070 people called the mental health hotline LifeNet
Over the past three years the Fund collected $540 million and has awarded
546 grants totaling $513 million. Of the $513 million, more than $447 million
was awarded to provide financial assistance and services to individuals and
families, $56 million to provide services to help businesses and communities
rebuild and recover, and $10 million helped with rescue and recovery efforts.
The $27 million in remaining funds are earmarked for the completion of
promised services, community revitalization and other projects.
In 2003-2004, the Fund awarded 101 grants totaling $75 million to support
its Ongoing Recovery Program. The Ongoing Recovery Program was launched one
year after the attacks and provided a framework for meeting the longer-term
needs of the victims, families and communities directly affected. It was
designed to give people more choices about where and how to get help, and make
it easier for them to get it.
While enrollment in Fund supported programs ended on January 31, 2004,
people already enrolled will continue to receive services through January
2005. Following are final enrollment figures for the Ongoing Recovery
Program:
* Employment Assistance Program: 11,387 enrolled
- Displaced workers received financial aid, vocational training, and
individual job counseling. 59% of those ready to work once they
completed the program are now employed.
* Helping People Get Help: Tens of thousands
- 19,966 people used caseworkers to help them get access to benefits
and services; more than 200,000 used hotlines and websites. In
addition, the Fund supported the 9/11 United Services Group which
was created to coordinate the charitable assistance effort by
establishing a shared victim database, training professionals to
act as service coordinators to help victims access benefits,
incorporating the advice of those directly affected, and providing
resource guides in multiple languages.
* Health Care Program: 15,000 enrolled
- The Fund offered 12-18 months of free health care for people who
lost their jobs, could not afford to buy private health insurance
and were not eligible for public health insurance programs.
* 9/11 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Program: 9,232 enrolled
- The program, coordinated with the American Red Cross, provides
reimbursement for out-of-pocket costs for mental health and/or
substance abuse treatment. It is administered by the Mental Health
Association of New York City (1-800-LIFENET is the toll free
number to determine eligibility and for enrollment).
* Mental Health Training: More than 5,000 professionals trained
- Recognizing that the number of mental health practitioners in the
New York, Long Island, and New Jersey regions would be unprepared
for the influx of new clients, the Fund supported a training
program that brought the most recent information about treating
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to thousands of professionals.
* Health Screenings & Treatments: 1,174 rescue and recovery workers
treated
- First responders, day laborers and volunteers who were part of
the rescue or recovery effort in Lower Manhattan were exposed
to potentially hazardous environmental conditions. More than
1,100 workers had more than 3,000 free visits with clinicians to
screen for and treat respiratory and psychological disorders that
resulted from 9/11.
* Legal Assistance: 20,780 people counseled
- The pressures of losing a loved one, a job or a home, or suffering
trauma left many people in need of legal assistance for things
such as settling an estate, applying to the Victim's Compensation
Fund, or avoiding eviction. More than 20,000 received free legal
support, and 1,745 cases were brought to the Federal Victim's
Compensation Fund thanks to Fund-supported lawyers.
* Helping Children and Youth: Approximately 25,000 students eligible
- Thousands of students attending elementary, middle and high
schools in lower Manhattan or at schools that served as host to
evacuated downtown schools were supported with academic programs,
mental health services, and extracurricular activities.
* Small business and Non profit assistance: 1,000 organizations
assisted
- Loans, grants, technical and marketing assistance were provided to
businesses and nonprofits in lower Manhattan and at Ronald Reagan
Airport in Washington D.C.
Background on The September 11th Fund
The September 11th Fund was established the day of the terrorist attacks
by The New York Community Trust and United Way of New York City to meet the
immediate and long-term needs of affected victims, families and communities.
The Fund works by making grants to nonprofit organizations and agencies with
the expertise to meet a wide range of needs quickly. The Fund is chaired by
Franklin Thomas, and governed by a board drawn from United Way, the Trust, and
the civic and business community. 100 percent of donations are used for
grants; administrative costs are raised or donated separately. Find more
information about specific grants and details about the Fund at
http://www.september11fund.org.
Contact: Jocelyn Weiss (212) 561-7464
SOURCE The September 11th Fund
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Related links:
http://www.september11fund.org
CONTACT:
Jocelyn Weiss for The September 11th Fund,
+1-212-561-7464
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