The American Red Cross Joins Nation in Remembering 9/11 Victims

American Red Cross
Monday, 8 September 2003

Continues Recovery Efforts and Preparing Country for Future Emergencies

Two years ago this week, the nation faced a terrible event which tested the strength of its people to come together following tragedies of unimaginable proportions. The American Red Cross joins in remembering the 2,797 people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. While there is reflection on two years of recovery efforts, there is also pride in the strength of more than 57,000 Red Cross workers, mostly volunteers, who helped hundreds of thousands of individuals through the most difficult time they have ever faced.

Americans came out in full force to help those needing assistance; the Red Cross received $1.072 billion in donations. Of that money, the Red Cross has spent $858 million, including $799 million in financial assistance and services to those directly affected. The remaining $214 million is committed exclusively to the long-term service needs of people directly impacted by the September 11 attacks, including mental health and health services, health insurance subsidies, case management and direct financial assistance.

Immediately following the attacks, the Red Cross sheltered 3,554 people in 60 shelters, served 14.1 million meals, provided 133,000 physical health contacts and 240,000 mental health contacts, and opened more than 100 service delivery sites. The Red Cross worked in conjunction with the City of New York to run the Family Assistance Center and Respite Centers at ground zero, and the organization provided personal assistance to more than 55,000 individuals and families who sought and received help from the Red Cross.

In the last year, the Red Cross has continued to help thousands of individuals and families affected in 57 countries. That includes 3,712 individuals and families whose loved ones were killed or seriously injured as a result of those events.

"When I reflect on the last two years, I am truly humbled by the work of the Red Cross workers who showed true humanitarian spirit by dropping everything in their lives and putting aside their own grief to help hundreds of thousands of people affected by the attacks," said Marsha J. Evans, President and CEO of the American National Red Cross. "Through the Red Cross September 11 Recovery Program, we continue our promise to the nation of fulfilling the long-term needs of those who still need help."

The September 11 Recovery Program continues providing a broad range of assistance and support to those most directly affected by the attacks including service coordination, access to mental health and health care, coverage of health insurance costs, group meetings offering information and support, and direct financial assistance.

• Red Cross Family Support Specialists continue to provide one-on-one service coordination for families of the deceased, the seriously injured, rescue and recovery personnel and affected residents. Red Cross staff offer information, referrals, advocacy, crisis intervention, and supportive counseling. As of March 25, 2003, more than 3,000 clients of a total of 6,000, have utilized Family Support Services and other Red Cross assistance programs to transition into the next phase of recovery or communicated to the Red Cross that they no longer need support at this time.
• The 9/11 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Benefit, a collaboration between the American Red Cross and the September 11th Fund, administered by The Mental Health Association of New York City, ensures that people who need treatment because of the impact of the disasters can access local licensed providers of their choice, regardless of their financial situation, insurance or immigration status and wherever the person now lives. The program provides financial assistance with mental health and/or substance abuse treatment costs, including outpatient and inpatient care, medications and lab fees. Nearly 5,000 people are currently enrolled, with a projected enrollment of 16,000 individuals over the next three to five years.
• The SRP Health Services Program provides financial assistance to individuals who were physically injured in the attacks or recovery effort and have uncovered health expenses, including co-payments, prescription costs, durable medical goods and medical procedures. Injured individuals receive clinical case management and referrals to additional health-related resources. In addition, the Health Insurance Subsidy Program pays health insurance premiums for a period of one year for those who lost immediate family members and those who were seriously injured.
• Through support and information sessions, the Red Cross brings people affected by the tragedy together in a comfortable environment to network and build healing bonds with others who have had similar experiences. Groups revolve around workshops on relevant topics such as health and wellness, stress management or financial planning. Meeting attendees also participate in supportive group discussions led by qualified mental health professionals. For more information, visit the Web site at www.redcross.org/september11/help.

The Red Cross continues its mission of helping people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies by delivering relief for more than 67,000 disasters a year, training and planning for future large-scale disasters, reaffirming disaster services as the core mission of the organization, testing and implementing new technology and creative ways to provide better service to victims, providing a wider range of preparedness material to the public about natural and man-made disasters and implementing systems that will inform the public on donation use and response activities.

There are two elements critical to future preparedness that the Red Cross relies solely on the public to support – keeping the Disaster Relief Fund healthy (now at an 11-year low) and donating blood so that the nation's supply is at a safe level for both day-to-day activities and unexpected national emergencies.

Governed by volunteers and supported by community donations, the American Red Cross is a nationwide network of local community supporters -- volunteers, blood donors, and financial donors -- organized into nearly 1,000 chapters, Blood Services regions and field units dedicated to saving lives and helping people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Led by 1.2 million volunteers and 36,000 employees, the Red Cross annually mobilizes relief to families affected by more than 67,000 disasters, trains nearly 12 million people in lifesaving skills and exchanges more than a million emergency messages for U.S. military service personnel and their families. The Red Cross is the largest supplier of blood and blood products to more than 3,000 hospitals across the nation and also assists victims of international disasters and conflicts throughout the world.

For more information, or to contact American Red Cross, see their website at: www.redcross.org