wfn.org | An outpouring of concern

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Note #6918 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

23-October-2001
01402

An outpouring of concern

Presbyterians have contributed $1.2 million since Sept. 11 terror attacks

by Evan Silverstein

LOUISVILLE - Members of the Presbyterian Church (USA) have opened up their
pocketbooks to support relief efforts in the wake of the terrorist attacks
on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Presbyterians have contributed more than $1.2 million through PC(USA)
channels since the Sept. 11 strikes, according to Presbyterian Disaster
Assistance (PDA), which is coordinating the denomination's assistance
effort. More than $300,000 was collected in the first two weeks after the
attacks.

Six weeks after the tragedies, donations have slowed but are still coming in
at a steady pace, PDA officials say.

"It's a very generous response from the church," said Stan Hankins, the
PDA's associate for U.S. disaster response. "I'm not sure where it's going
to top out at."

Presbyterian contributions, which have ranged from $5 to $27,000, came
primarily through church offerings, congregation mission budgets and
individual donations made over PDA's Internet Web site - www.pcusa.org/pda.
Among the contributors were partner churches of the PC(USA), such as the
Presbyterian Church in Canada, which gave $6,000.

PDA has used some of the money to support a variety of initiatives,
including $110,000 New York City Presbytery is using to help survivors and
others affected by the attacks.

PDA also sent $20,000 to Church World Service (CWS), the relief and
development arm of the National Council of Churches, to cover part of its
disaster-response expenses, including the placement of consultants in the
field to help coordinate and plan the ecumenical response to the tragedy.
Funds also were provided to Faith and Values.com for a live Internet
"Webcast" on Oct. 22, a discussion of faith-based responses and resources.

According to Hankins, officials at New York City Presbytery will use some of
the money to meet the direct needs of disaster survivors, including families
that lost loved ones. "Secondary" survivors, including those who lost jobs
or income because of the attacks, also will benefit.

"The presbytery will be working closely with governmental and voluntary
agencies to ensure that no one is overlooked, and that aid is distributed
according to need," Hankins said. "The economic impact ... is widespread,
and affects tens of thousands of people."

Funds also will be used to offset expenses the presbytery has incurred in
organizing its response. This includes the cost of hiring a coordinator and
establishing an administrative commission to manage the effort. Some
donations also will be used to organize retreats for church leaders and
their spouses and to pay for pastoral-care training.

In addition, some of the money will be used to meet the needs of people
forced out of their homes by the destruction; to pay for long-term
counseling and pastoral care for survivors and caregivers; and to enable
presbyteries in the New York City area to hire counselors to care for
pastors and church leaders.

"We will continue to work closely with affected presbyteries in the New York
City area on ways to identify how the funds can be used to assist those most
in need," Hankins said.

Shortly after the attacks, PDA gave $10,000 to the Presbytery of New York
City to help with its relief efforts. Another $10,000 went to Church World
Service to help cover the cost of its immediate response.

On the international front, PDA has provided $450,000 from designated giving
and the One Great Hour of Sharing offering to CWS-Pakistan to pay for
shelter kits and food for Afghan refugees.
Another $50,000 went to the Middle East Council of Churches for refugee
relief in Iran.

Americans nationwide have raised more than $1 billion for the relief effort,
according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

The American Red Cross has received the most - about $452 million. On-line
donations topped $52 million in the first three weeks, but have fallen off
to just about $2 million in the past two weeks. Local chapters across the
country have reported many single donations in excess of $5,000.

The September 11th Fund, created by the New York Community Trust and the
United Way of New York City, has raised $171 million. About $150 million was
raised through a September 14th telethon, United Way is overseeing the
distribution of that money. Three high-powered benefit concerts to aid
terrorist victims, held last weekend in New York, Washington DC, and
Nashville, TN, raised more than $17 million.

The Salvation Army has raised about $35 million, and the Families for
Freedom Scholarship Fund, endorsed by Bill Clinton and Bob Dole, has raised
$8.9 million to underwrite the education of the children of the attack
victims.
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