AmeriCares Remembers 9-11

AmeriCares Foundation
Wednesday, 11 September 2002

It is a day the world will never forget. The attacks on the World Trade Center towers in New York City, the Pentagon and an airliner ostensibly to target the Capitol left the nation frozen. Certainly the most devastating terrorist attacks in American history, this horrific calamity shattered the sense of security and self-confidence that Americans take as their birthright.

AmeriCares, headquartered just 45 miles north of New York City, responded to the tragedy immediately. By partnering with Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford, Connecticut, AmeriCares' medical teams, relief workers and relief supplies were flown into New York City on Black Hawk helicopters just four hours after the collapse of both Twin Towers. An emergency medical module was immediately taken to St. Vincent's, the hospital closest to Ground Zero, while triage units were established and supplies were distributed to other area hospitals and shelters. Soon thereafter, AmeriCares delivered dust masks, respirators, flashlights, batteries, work gloves, work boots, hard hats, plastic bags, garbage cans, shovels, electrical extension cords and bottled water directly to the site.

AmeriCares switched gears Sept.12, focusing our relief efforts on search and rescue, and counseling. AmeriCares delivered additional truckloads of bottled water, work gloves, hard hats, flashlights and other essential equipment to New York City from our Milford, Connecticut warehouse. An AmeriCares team canvassed community centers and churches in New York City to assess the needs of the people and provide volunteer counselors at the family center.

On Thursday, Sept. 13, AmeriCares announced the establishment of two funds to aid the victims of the New York City tragedy. The Heroes' Fund was established specifically to aid the immediate family members of New York City uniformed firefighters, emergency medical technicians, police officers and employees of the Port Authority who so tragically lost their lives in the line of duty. AmeriCares' founders Bob and Leila Macauley personally jump-started the fund with a $1 million donation. The Heroes' Fund has thus far raised nearly $5.4 million. AmeriCares transferred the administrative responsibilities to former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's Twin Towers Fund, with a guarantee from the mayor that 100 percent of the money would go to the victims' families. Not one penny was taken out for administrative purposes. AmeriCares secured PricewaterhouseCoopers to oversee the process and ensure the transaction was completed in an accurate and expedient fashion. All monies collected so far have been distributed to the families. This fund is still open for those who would still like to contribute.

Another fund, "Aid for Terrorist Attack Victims Fund" was also established. This fund has so far raised $3.9 million. AmeriCares partnered with Catholic Charities of NY to distribute the money from this fund. The proceeds were given to Catholic Charities with a guarantee that not one penny would be taken out for administrative purposes. All monies collected so far have also been distributed. The recipients were families of the non-uniformed individuals who perished, those who lost their jobs or livelihoods and those in need of psychological counseling. This fund is still open for those who would still like to contribute.

AmeriCares continued relief operations Friday, Sept.14, delivering fiber-optic imaging equipment to New York City to aid in the search and rescue effort. AmeriCares relief workers, as well as technicians from the donor company, brought this state-of-the-art equipment directly to Ground Zero with a police escort. AmeriCares also continued its work with the Salvation Army, the New York City Fire and Police Departments, the National Guard and the New York City Comptroller's Office to deliver materials requested for the rescue workers at ground zero as well as at the Staten Island Landfill, where workers continued to sift through the rubble in search of evidence. The requested materials included steel tipped boots, respirators, rain gear, flashlights and eye drops, items consistently at the top of the official needs lists.

Also on Friday the 14th, AmeriCares, in conjunction with Connecticut radio stations Cool 96.7, 95.9 Fox, WSTC, WNLK, Star 99.9, WPLR, and Long Island stations WBAB and WBLI, conducted a radio-a-thon to raise money for the two funds to benefit those who lost loved ones on 9/11. Nearly $1 million was raised in only 12 hours.

In the days following the attacks, AmeriCares' delivered 500 pairs of steel tipped boots along with 500 pairs of steel tipped galoshes to the Staten Island Landfill. Another delivery of steel tipped boots was sent to the National Guard, the Long Island City Fire Department and the Salvation Army's staging area in New Rochelle, New York while shipments of police boots and MAGLite heavy-duty flashlights were delivered to the New York Police Department's staging area in Brooklyn. Additional donations of MAGLites were sent to Washington, D.C. for the search and rescue operation at the Pentagon.

President George W. Bush asked AmeriCares, and the heads of more than 30 charities to the White House for a press conference. John Connell, AmeriCares' vice president of traffic and logistics, represented Robert C. Macauley, AmeriCares' founder and chairman.

In the weeks that followed, AmeriCares continued to communicate on a daily basis with the New York Fire Department, the Police Department, the National Guard and officials working at Ground Zero to determine what was most urgently needed. Bottled water, rain gear, boots, eye drops and other materials were requested and immediately delivered to various staging facilities in New York City.

AmeriCares also received a commitment for a donation of five Sprung Instant Structures for the World Trade Center disaster recovery effort. These structures were erected three weeks after the disaster at various locations throughout the search and rescue zone and remained there for the duration of the work. The stressed-membrane structures consist of a series of aluminum-arched ribs connected by modular architectural panels. The structures are extremely durable, maintenance-free and easily air conditioned or heated.

Four of the structures, totaling 30,200 square feet, were erected at the Staten Island Landfill and were used as a dining hall and a dressing/rest area for the workers and for sorting debris from the World Trade Center site. The last structure was used at Ground Zero as a 3,000-square-foot storage facility for the Office of Emergency Management.

AmeriCares continued to maintain contact with the New York Fire and Police Departments as well as the National Guard and the relief distribution center set up at St. Paul's Church, about one block from Ground Zero. Through these contacts, AmeriCares continued to assess the needs around the city on a daily basis and to send several truckloads per week as requested by our partners.

At the one-year anniversary of the tragic event, the realities of this devastating disaster became much clearer. AmeriCares has and will continue to stand by, for as long as it takes, ready to serve America in the aftermath of what possibly has been our most trying moment.

For more information, or to contact AmeriCares Foundation, see their website at: www.americares.org