Catholic Charities to Examine Network’s September 11 Disaster Response

Catholic Charities USA
Tuesday, 30 July 2002

Sessions in Chicago to discuss lessons learned, long-term response, impact on programs

At the upcoming annual conference in Chicago, Catholic Charities agencies from the New York metropolitan area will discuss lessons learned from September 11 recovery efforts and detail long-term response activities that are helping families rebuild their lives.

Three separate panel discussions on Thursday, Aug. 1, and Friday, Aug. 2 will look at disaster response in the Catholic Charities network. They are just three of 50 workshops being held during the Catholic Charities USA Annual Conference and Sections Meeting, Aug. 1-3, at the Chicago Sheraton Hotel and Towers.

"Catholic Charities agencies in the New York City and Washington, DC, areas were on the front lines of efforts to provide the immediate emergency assistance required in the days and weeks immediately after the disaster," said Rev. J. Bryan Hehir, president of Catholic Charities USA. "Today, local agencies in New York, Washington, DC, New Jersey, Connecticut, and other states are still serving many people with long-term emotional or financial needs in the aftermath of September 11."

"The information shared at these sessions will help Catholic Charities agencies across the country understand what is involved in providing immediate and long-term services if they are ever confronted again by a similar disaster," Fr. Hehir added. "Catholic Charities in Oklahoma City will share insights and expertise based on their work with victims of the Oklahoma City bombing, and the agencies on the front lines of this latest tragedy will discuss their experiences and the lessons they learned."

Catholic Charities USA has allocated more than $22 million to 24 local agencies that have responded to the immediate and long-term needs of families affected by the September 11 terrorist attacks. The grants—which come from more than $30 million donated to Catholic Charities USA for September 11 disaster assistance—are helping local Catholic Charities agencies deal with economic and emotional needs of families that are surfacing months after the attacks.

Most of the programs supported by these grants address long-term needs of families whose lives were affected—directly and indirectly—by the tragedy. Programs supported by the grants include counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder; emergency financial assistance to help with rent/mortgage, utilities, and medical bills; job placement for those who have lost their jobs or have been laid off as a result of the attacks; legal aid; and outreach to immigrant populations.

"The work of Catholic Charities extends long after the dust has settled and the physical wounds of disaster have healed," said Fr. Hehir. "Catholic Charities agencies provide hope and support as long as the need remains. We know from firsthand experience that new needs arise long after tragedy occurs, and some of our most important and valued work takes place a long time after people first contact Catholic Charities for assistance."

Disaster Response Sessions

• The New World Order After September 11. (Aug. 1, 4:00 p.m.). At this session Catholic Charities leaders will address the global impact of the events following September 11 and the potential implications for Catholic Charities programs in the United States, including programs that serve refugees and immigrants. Panelists include Mark Franken, executive director of Migration and Refugee Services for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Dorret Byrd, deputy executive director of overseas operations for Catholic Relief Services.
• Disaster Response I. (Aug. 2, 9:30 a.m.). For decades local Catholic Charities have been there to help put their communities back together after a disaster strikes. This session, part I of a two-part workshop on disaster response, will focus Catholic Charities USA's role in disaster response and agency preparedness for devastation caused by terrorism. Presenters at this session include Dorothy Grillo, director of social ministry for Catholic Charities, of Charleston, SC; Mary Sutton, executive assistant, for Catholic Charities of New Orleans; and Patricia J. Aaron, assistant director for Catholic Charities of Oklahoma City.
• Disaster Response II. (Aug. 2, 2:00 p.m.). In this session, panelists from the New York metropolitan area address the impact of September 11 on their agencies, preparedness before the event, immediate and long-term response activities, and lessons learned. Panelists include Joseph F. Duffy, executive secretary of Catholic Charities of Paterson, NJ; Robert Siebel, chief operating officer of Catholic Charities of Brooklyn/Queens, NY; Jack J. Smey, executive director of Catholic Charities of Norwich, CT; and Anthony P. Mullen, director of parish social ministry of Catholic Charities, Rockville Centre, NY.

About the Annual Conference

Catholic Charities USA, one of the nation's largest private networks of people helping people, will gather more than 500 social work leaders Aug. 1-3 in Chicago, to discuss critical issues that affect low-income and vulnerable people, including Catholic Charities' September 11 recovery efforts, affordable housing, welfare reform, and accessible health care.

For more information, or to contact Catholic Charities USA, see their website at: www.catholiccharitiesusa.org