wfn.org | ABCUSA: AMERICAN BAPTISTS GIVING GENEROUSLY TO 9/11 RELIEF WORK

[RICH.SCHRAMM@ecunet.org]

AMERICAN BAPTIST NEWS SERVICE 
Office of Communication  
American Baptist Churches USA 
P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851 
Phone: (610)768-2077 / Fax: (610)768-2320 
Web: www.abc-usa.org
Richard W. Schramm, Director 
 E-mail: richard.schramm@abc-usa.org

AMERICAN BAPTISTS GIVING GENEROUSLY TO 
RELIEF EFFORTS AFTER SEPT. 11 ATTACKS
 American Baptists are responding generously in 
supporting relief efforts in the wake of the hijacked 
airplane crashes Sept. 11 that claimed nearly 6,000 lives in 
New York City, Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania. 
 As of Oct. 23 American Baptists throughout the 
U.S. had contributed approximately $382,000 in One Great 
Hour of Sharing monies designated for "Relief Fund for 
Victims of Terrorist Attacks."  
 Ken George, director of National Ministries' Direct 
Human Services, reported this week that a portion of 
those funds had been committed to two major relief 
initiatives.
  A disaster grant of $100,000 has been sent to the 
American Baptist Churches of Metro New York.  These 
funds will be used to assist its congregational and clergy 
counseling program and for emergency assistance to those 
families of victims "who are falling through the cracks," 
according to the Rev. James Stallings, executive minister 
of that region.  Stallings is co-convenor of the newly-
formed New York Interfaith Disaster Recovery 
Organization, which is responding to the city's varied 
needs in the aftermath of the disaster.
 In response to an appeal from Church World 
Service, another $100,000 grant has been sent to the 
Church World Service Emergency Response Program 
designated for domestic terrorism recovery.  Church World 
Service is a longstanding partner of American Baptist 
Churches USA in relief and crisis ministries.
 Previous financial assistance from American 
Baptist Churches USA through One Great Hour of Sharing 
emergency funds has included: $10,000 to assist churches 
within the American Baptist Churches of Metro New York 
region in providing for families or individuals impacted by 
the World Trade Center destruction; $4,500 to Church 
World Service to support grief counseling ministries for 
victims' survivors; and $5,000 to Church World Service to 
support its shelter assistance program for the increasing 
number of Afghan refugees.
 American Baptists wishing to support relief efforts 
in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks can do so through 
normal channels--One Great Hour of Sharing (line 7 of the 
Monthly Report of Mission Support), designating 
contributions "OGHS--Relief Fund for Victims of Terrorist 
Attacks."  Those wishing to contribute online can do so 
through a special OGHS Fund established to help the 
victims and their families.  This can be done by accessing 
the "American Baptist Missions" page of the ABCUSA Web 
site--www.abc-usa.org.

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