Lions Clubs International
REPORT Lions would like to pass along the wisdom gained from our 9/11 relief experiences to as many individuals and organizations as possible. In summation: When a natural or manmade disaster strikes, a thoughtful and responsible quick response, followed by long range planning and efficient execution is critical to meeting desired short and long term goals and getting results.
After the horrific events of September 11, Lions in the affected areas across the country, and even around the world, moved quickly yet g deliberately to map out a plan of action. Those decisions and the resultin plan can serve as a blueprint for Lions to use in times of disaster.
ns of the Flexibility, autonomy, careful oversight, and unselfishness were the lynchpi Lions s, activitie on Lions’ approach to its 9/11 relief efforts. In addition to local hands and agencies to leveraged their capabilities through networking with other organizations achieve the maximum benefits possible for victims.
worldwide The effort to assist victims was funded through the contributions of Lions le through who raised US $3.2 million. The money was sent to LCIF and made availab grants requested by the 9/11 Central Steering Committee. on the immediFrom September 11 through early 2002, Lions’ relief activities focused City and ate recovery phase and were centered at the disaster sites in New York husetts, Massac Washington D.C. The Lions of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, 9/11 Central Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland joined forces on the phase. critical Steering Committee, providing needed funds and volunteers for this
of victims and The second phase of the Lions’ efforts helped to meet the unmet needs was an important their families. For example, short-term financial assistance for victims donation raised and part of the effort, which extended from mid-2002 to mid-2003. Gifts part of the assisindependently by Lions outside of the United States were another vital tance provided through our committee.
victims’ assisPhase III, extending from late 2002 to mid-2006, focused on long-term emotional, tance programs. This phase was geared toward addressing the post 9/11 associated with those as employment, and mental health needs of victims, families, as well secondary victimization and rescue and recovery efforts. es, Lions For example, through one of the most successful and well-received initiativ tion coopera in retreats funded and volunteered in a series of healing camps and special ne in Maine. with the Friendship Ambassadors Foundation (FAF) and Camp Sunshi
d $100,000 As part of Phase III actions, the 9/11 Central Steering Committee awarde s to program fund to grants to six not-for-profit organizations. The grants were used ling and other provide job counseling and training, trauma and bereavement counse touched the lives Lions s, needed services. By providing support for these special activitie of additional thousands.
Throughout all three phases, the planning and implementation of Lions
9/11 programs
was guided by its 9/11 Central Steering Committee, comprised of 16 Lions from the eight states directly affected by the disaster. The committee met regularly over a four-year period to plan assistance programs and to allocate the $3.2 million in 9/11 contributions.
It is hoped that this report, which in a narrative format describes the efforts and results of the committee, can be used as a guide for others to follow in the future. Disaster strikes swiftly and soon fades from the news. But the needs of its victims remain. Lions took these ongoing needs into account. They planned well to meet them through operational phasing over time, not through immediate cash grants to victims. We believe this approach is the key to successful victim assistance.
The following pages detail what was done, how it was done, and who did it. They provide a guide for how Lions handled the tragic aftermath of 9/11. This report cannot include the names of all the people who provided time, talent, skill, and unselfish devotion. We still don’t know who they all were, but without them doing what had to be done, the help and assistance provided by Lions everywhere would not have been possible.
We can only say, “thank you” to whomever you are… you are the real heroes of 9/11.
PID Robert Klein, Chairman 9/11 Central Steering Committee
Overhead view at Ground Zero Lion’s Club
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PHASE I –
GETTING ORGANIZED TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE
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he Lions Club began responding to the events of September 11 the very same day.
Several members, including PID Bob Klein and PIP Bob
Uplinger, called Peter Lynch, Division Manager at Lions
Club International Foundation (LCIF) in Oak Brook, Illinois and asked for the immediate establishment of an emergency relief fund. Officials there were already at work.
LCIF Chairman PIP Jean Behar did not hesitate and a
$100,000 seed allocation was made by LCIF to start the Lions Clubs 9/11 Disaster Emergency Fund. Monies
Lions present containers to NYC Council President Peter Vallone (ctr).
PIP Behar to be Chairman and Fund Administrator for the
became available immediately. LCIF announced the estab-
allocation of the US $3.2 million ultimately donated by
lishment of the Fund and donations began to pour in, even-
Lions worldwide. With the outstanding support and guid-
tually topping US $3.2 million.
ance provided by the Lions Club International Foundation
Recognizing that a long-range relief program would be
(LCIF) and its staff, initially Peter Lynch, and later Troy
needed, and in consultation with LCIF officials and staff,
Jewell and KaSondra Byrd, Lions across America were able
PID Klein made calls within days to the most recent
to “hit the ground running” and get help to where it was
International Director in each of the MDs affected by the
needed from Day One.
attack. He requested that two Lions be selected by each MD
On September 13, Lions from local MD-20 sub-districts on
to serve as members of a proposed committee that would be
Long Island, Queens and Brooklyn, held an organizational meet-
responsible for developing and implementing a Lions response to the emerging needs.
ing with now Second VP Al Brandel to determine short and
long-term service needs and immediate actions that members
PIP Jean Behar
could take. They designed a very simple, but effective program.
activated that com-
Much of the plan became a template for the later estab-
mittee at a meeting
lished MD 20 Steering Committee.
held on November
New York Lions elsewhere also geared up for action,
7, 2001 in Cherry
holding an emergency meeting in Binghamton, NY. Lions in
Hill, N.J. PID
New Jersey, Massachusetts and other areas were equally
Lions inside the headquarters of NYC Office Klein of MD 20 of Emergency Management (OEM) at the was appointed by WTC site. Lion’s Club
pro-active.
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9/11 Report
For example, headed by PDG Glenn Ryburn and PID Roy Wilson, the Lions of
Virginia and Maryland also responded in a timely fashion. Networking began on
September 11 and the Lions of MD 24 provided rescue gear, food and a wide vari-
ety of practical supplies to Pentagon recovery teams. Their efforts were funded with an immediate $10,000 LCIF grant and supplemented with donated items solicited by local clubs.
On September 21, 2001, at a specially called Council of Governors meeting,
New York’s MD 20 Steering Committee, headed by CC John Wargo, was created to coordinate the Multiple relief efforts that Lions knew would be needed.
This committee would go on to initiate a number of major programs that would
Aerial view of the Pentagon after the attack
become models for other MDs to follow.
From the outset, the 9/11 Central Steering Committee and related Lions groups aimed to coordinate their efforts
to avoid duplication of efforts and to insure funds would be used in the most effective way possible. This was
accomplished. It was an outgrowth of joint membership on the 9/11
The events of September 11 and their aftermath marked a defining moment and a turning point in the history of the Lions Club International Foundation
Central Steering Committee and through frequent, open meetings
and constant communication. The committee considered needs of victims and designed programs that could be used by the several Multiples. Also, it built flexibility into the system, enabling the
Multiples to implement approved programs as needed in their jurisdictions.
Additionally, the Committee was allowed to fund agreed upon pro-
grams without going through the normal procedures as outlined in LCIF
policy. Without this working process, much of the help that was provid-
ed would not have been possible. Funding was made available through grants at the request of the Committee
Chairman as approved. They were allocated from available funds by the vote of the 9/11 Central Steering
Committee. These grants were handled by the LCIF staff liaison assigned to the committee.
Advice from Lions who had been involved in the
Oklahoma City bombing relief efforts and networking with a variety of other agencies including VOAD
(Volunteers Active in Disasters) proved invaluable. Emergency workers at the WTC site
Lion’s Club
Finally, each Multiple District was urged to establish
its own steering committee, similar to that of MD 20.
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9/11 Report
IMMEDIATE RELIEF
uring the first days of the crisis, Lions’ activities focused on the immediate relief and recovery phase, particularly at the disaster sites of “Ground Zero” and the Pentagon.
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On a broader local level, Lions from all of the areas
affected by the disaster began fundraising in their own communities. The goal: to provide fast financial assistance to
View within Ground Zero
affected families. In New York, the Lions of MD 20 quickly
Some of these efforts included:
mobilized to procure and collect supplies that would be
• Lions worked directly at Ground Zero.
needed for relief workers at “Ground Zero.” These included socks, batteries, boots, spare clothing, respirator masks, and
• Shortly after the attack, Lions learned that a warehouse on
other basic items, even 1,000 hot dogs to feed volunteers.
New York City’s Spring Street had opened as a resource center for tools, equipment, and clothing being donated
Items were collected throughout New York and the sur-
for use by the workers at the WTC site. Mrs. Rhonda
rounding states. Second VP Albert Brandel and PID Edward
Shearer, President of the Art Science Research
Cordes coordinated truckloads of supplies from the entire
Laboratory, rented the warehouse with the aim of assist-
state and brought to the collections point at Shea Stadium.
ing the workers.
It was during this time that rescue and recovery operations
• At the Pentagon, Lions kept workers supplied with basic
were being conducted by federal and local agencies in New
necessities. In this area, Glen Ryburn of Virginia D24-A
York City, at the World Trade Center site, in Virginia, and at the
headed up efforts. In New England, PID Chuck Kostro
Pentagon. It was tacitly understood that this work was not to be
lead up efforts in Massachusetts and the surrounding
done by non-trained people.
states.
Lions decided to assist in several ways. Contacts were
• The 9/11 Fund purchased specialty tools needed by
made by Lion Brandel, the WTC Downstate Site Coordinator,
workers at the WTC and the Fresh Kills landfill in
with NY City Officials and members of the various city
Staten Island.
departments, such as the Police, Fire, and Office of
Emergency services coordinators to see what Lions might do.
• LCIF funding also enabled Lions to purchase seven retrofitted shipping containers to be used in relief
As a result, with the financial help of the LCIF Fund and
efforts These containers met a variety of needs provid-
active volunteers, Lions provided secondary services to
ing offices, sleep areas and warming centers for work-
assist in the rescue and recovery efforts both in New York and in Virginia.
Lion’s Club
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ers. They were placed within the enclosed WTC site 9/11 Report
displaying Lions emblems on each side of the containers. One was sent to the Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island
where victim identification was conducted. Another was used as a temporary kennel for rescue dogs.
• Using 9/11 funds, 250 American Flags were provided to
cover the dead as they were escorted from Ground Zero.
Lions met that need and countless others during the early
Lions deliver supplies to Shea Stadium collection site
days of the 9/11 aftermath.
• Establishing effective communications was another
immediate goal. Lions set up a communications network, using e-mail, phone lists, and web sites to develop an
ongoing repository of information. District governors
were encouraged to assign relief coordinators for their
districts, with the goal of providing for immediate needs,
collecting funds and compiling a Lions skills database for longer-term needs.
As Lions aided the rescue workers, they also began to
recognize the additional needs of victims of the disaster.
Lion’s Club
Lions take a break with relief workers in Salvation Army food tent, open 24/7.
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9/11 Report
sent to directly to any approved individual requesting assis-
PHASE II – SHORT TERM FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
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tance. Instead Lions paid bills and expenses directly, thus
insuring that all funds were used properly and for exactly the
t quickly became apparent that the victims needed short-term financial assistance.
purpose intended.
All requests were pre-screened by special committees in
each of the affected Multiples. Forms developed by the MD 20 Steering Committee were used by each of the Multiples.
Many were out of work, others had lost the breadwinner
in the family, apartments in the WTC site area were no
Committee coordinators pledged to distribute the funds
longer habitable, and financial assistance was a long time in
“quickly and compassionately” while evaluating all appli-
cies working on the scene. This was due in part to the diffi-
should be used as a safety net for victims.
coming from the Federal Government and charitable agen-
cants fairly and equitably. Lions felt very strongly that funds
culty in identifying victims and determining how to use the
Employed staff was also needed for processing the hun-
tremendous amounts of collected money.
dreds of applications and paying the thousands of bills from
As a result, the MD 20 Steering Committee initiated a
vendors. In New York, staff at the MD 20 office was asked to
program to provide funds for indi-
do this extra, time-consuming
vidual victims on a limited basis.
work. A part-time clerical work-
Called the Financial Assistance
er was hired and the Multiple
Program, it included payment of
was reimbursed through a grant.
one-time bills for rent, mortgages,
PID Bob Seibert coordinated the
tuition or special needs, while other
MD20 office financial assistance
assistance was being sought. The
program.
primary goal was to support the
families of victims. The entire program was funded by the 9/11 Central Steering Committee.
Nearly $400,000 was dis-
PCC John Wargo, PDG Kirk Van Swearingen, PDG Luis Jimenez, PDG Harry Katz, and PID Bob Klein at Ground Zero
who had “fallen through the
cracks” or whose funding had run out before government
Through the Committee, the program was implemented in
claims were settled. The Financial Assistance Program pro-
most of the affected Multiples.Shortly thereafter, the other
vided an incredible boost to regaining normalcy to those who
Multiple Districts, including New Jersey and Connecticut in par-
requested assistance.
ticular, followed suit with their own Financial Assistance
In MD 20, the Safe Horizons agency helped screen finan-
Programs, using MD 20 as a model.
cial assistance applications. Several locations were set up in
Protocols were designed to make sure that money was
lower Manhattan for processing. Volunteer Lions assisted
spent correctly and avoided duplication. Strict review and
Safe Horizon. According to Lion Wargo, they said that it
financial controls for collecting and dispensing funds were
was a difficult but very rewarding process, with help provid-
developed and implemented. For example, no money was Lion’s Club
tributed to individual victims
ed when it was needed the most.
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9/11 Report
Program Funding Category 5 - (1%) Miscellaneous and Operational Expenses
Category 6 - (6%) Community Service Awards under $100,000
Category 7 - (3%) Immediate Disaster Assistance
Category 1- (13%) Not-for-Profit Organizations Grants of $100,000
Category 4 - (15%) Ground Zero Assistance, Disaster Relief Services, and Retrofitted Shelter Containers
Category 2 - (50%) Family Camping Retreats (FAF and Camp Sunshine)
Category 3 - (12%) Financial Assistance
Category 1 Not-for-Profit Organizations Grants of $100,000
Category 5 Miscellaneous and Operational Expenses
$416,000
$32,000
Category 2 Family Camping Retreats (FAF and Camp Sunshine)
Category 6 Community Service Awards under $100,000
$1,600,000
Category 7 Immediate Disaster Assistance
$192,000
Category 3 Financial Assistance
$96,000
$384,000 Category 4 Ground Zero Assistance, Disaster Relief Services, and Retrofitted Shelter Containers
Total Program Funding: $3.2 million
$480,000 Lion’s Club
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9/11 Report
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“But what made it reality was looking into the eyes of
AT GROUND ZERO hree days after September 11, Lion Maureen Murphy, MD, was assigned to duty at Ground Zero with a group of other medical professionals.
the people who were there at Ground Zero. We offered the
the “pile” along with thousands of NYPD, NYFD, EMS
absorb all there was to see. I went in to offer assistance,
T
firemen eyewash. Their eyes were dry and there was so
much dust. They were so grateful for you just to wash out their eyes or offer them bottled water. One fireman asked if I had any sweatshirts. You can be sure I was going to find him a sweatshirt. I did…and he was so grateful!
“During my time at Ground Zero I am sure I did not
“On Friday afternoon we found ourselves in front of
whatever the need. I did not go to be a tourist, to take pic-
and other rescue workers. The primary medical station
But what made it reality was looking into the eyes of the people who were there at Ground Zero.
tures, or to gawk. There I just focused on my work –
was set up in
except to watch for falling debris.
the firehouse immediately
“I also did not want to interrupt any private moments.
opposite the
Yet if you just listened, you could hear. One fireman,
Center. There
coming down; it’s so hard to go back up!” I didn’t know
World Trade
upon being ordered “down from the pile,” said: “I hate
were two
if it was hard to get back up on the pile physically or
unstable buildings on either side so we were told that if a
emotionally.
horn blew three times to exit out the back and just keep
“I have always had a great respect for policemen and
going!”
firemen. But what I witnessed at Ground Zero will forev-
“Getting oriented, we stepped outside the firehouse and
er redefine my definition of “Hero.”
I looked up to the left and to the right at TALL buildings
Lion Dr. Maureen Murphy
with parts of them hanging on by a thread. Then I looked
Sept. 21, 2001
out to the pile, with rescue workers on top, searching for survivors. They – for sure – were not thinking of these two tall unsteady buildings, wondering when the three
Medical volunteers at Ground Zero
horns would blow. They were focused on what they had to do: search and rescue – whatever the cost!
“The “pile” was indescribable. It was like a movie set,
with the sun setting, the temporary lighting and the smoke casting shadows. It was pure 3-D, with the façade of the
World Trade Center the focal point and the American Flag flying on the antennae that was once atop the building. Lion’s Club
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9/11 Report
SPRING STREET WAREHOUSE
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othing defined the essence of the Lion’s timely and effective response
to 9/11 better than the Spring Street Warehouse, located
12 blocks from Ground Zero.
Rented by New York City humanitarian Rhonda Roland Shearer, the
warehouse, opened in late September. It closed its doors eight months
later when the needs it answered had been fulfilled. Lions manned the
site on a twenty-four hour a day, seven day a week basis, providing five to ten volunteers daily in eight-hour shifts.
All in all, about 500 Lions and non-Lions donated at least 5,000
Spring Street Warehouse supplies
volunteer hours at the warehouse. They came from as far away as Mississippi, with one Lion coming from England.
The warehouse served as a focus of activity for distributing badly-needed basic supplies to uniformed services personnel
and others working at the World Trade Center site. The 9/11 Central Steering Committee contributed $200,000 to assist in the warehouse rental and the purchase of specialty supplies and equipment. Initial items supplied included a special recovery
worker package that provided a variety of essentials:
tool bags, batteries, respirator masks, steel toe boots,
socks, jackets, overalls, rain suits, gloves, goggles, and digging tools such as shovels.
As the weeks went by, a host of other essential items
were added as required. Rescue workers came to rely on the warehouse for rescue basics ranging from hard hats and earplugs to thermal tops, coats, gloves and hand
warmers. All in all, the Lions supplied tens of thousands
of these items to the workers that needed them. Many of the Lions who worked at the warehouse have said it was one of the
R E F L E C T I O N
“Of all the groups that helped us, yours was the most unfailing in quantity and quality of service. In short, we could not have supplied Ground Zero uniformed service personnel without the Lions. Tools and supplies that were delivered continue to service police and fire workers throughout New York City. But most importantly, the brave men and women in recovery felt loved and supported by all of our volunteers, including Lions working with us at the warehouse and delivering day and night to Ground Zero. Lions did their country proud.”
most rewarding experi-
With gratitude, Rhonda Roland Shearer Art Science Research Laboratory
ences of their lives, a source of immense
pride and satisfaction.
PDG Maybelle Twohie (r) at the warehouse. Lion’s Club
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Lion Grossman worked at the Spring Street Warehouse, from September of 2001 until the warehouse closed operations nine months later.
“I have so many memories of things that happened down at warehouse. One of the most heartwarming was delivering the thousands of toys, stuffed animals, and even candy that ended up being shipped to the warehouse, mostly by the postal service because they did not know what else do.
“We collected the items and delivered them to 26 firehouses in the Bronx. The Bronx firehouses were very hard-hit by 9/11, so the donated goods which they distributed to families throughout the Bronx, had special meaning.”
Lion Grossman said that she would never forget the gratitude of the hundreds of policemen and firefighters who used the supplies at the warehouse.
“I remember them telling me that they had seen things at the site that no human being should ever see. Some of them were incredibly broken up. I often saw big, tough guys crying like babies. It is something I never forI often saw big, tough get, especially one fireman who was devastated because he was guys crying like babies. the only member of his crew to survive. I often think of him and wonder where he is and what he is doing now.”
Lion Joyce Grossman
Lion’s Club
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9/11 Report
CONTAINER PROGRAM
s immediate relief efforts progressed, it became clear
A
that police and other emergency man-
agement workers needed fully functioning indoor
spaces to meet a variety of needs, including temporary offices, on or near the site.
December of 2001, the units were used for a variety of different purposes. The New York Office of Emergency
Management used one of them as an office for its staff, literally “behind the fences” at Ground Zero. A second was
placed in front of the main site-viewing stand where thousands of visitors stopped each day.
The others were used in different locations as needed for
In addition to providing support at the Spring Street
sleeping and warming centers for workers at or near the site.
purchased seven large retrofitted shipping containers to aid
rescue dogs and their handlers. Another was delivered to the
Warehouse, Lions again reacted in a pro-active fashion and in relief efforts.
The 20-ft long containers were purchased from FVS, Inc.
at a total cost of $90,000. Fully insulated, they came
One was used as a temporary kennel and respite center for
Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island, where victim identification was being conducted.
Once the need for the temporary quarters was exhausted,
equipped with heat, air-conditioning, electric lights and out-
two of the containers were donated to the regional FEMA
a large Lions logo.
were contributed to Lions camps in New York, New Jersey,
lets, and could be bolted together, if needed. Each unit bore Once set in place at the WTC site, beginning in mid-
task force for permanent emergency use and five others and Virginia.
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UPSTATE NEW YORK lthough geographically separated from Ground Zero, the Lions of “upstate” New York mobi-
lized quickly to provide immediate assistance after the disaster.
PID Ed Cordes said that Lions quickly put together a net-
work of clubs that collected items for relief workers and
trucked them down to the Shea Stadium site. The items were later sent over to the Spring Street Warehouse, where they
Supplies collected at Shea Stadium
were used by rescue workers and first responders.
R E F L E C T I O N John Wargo Reflects
The collection of supplies went on for several weeks
immediately following the disaster. When the warehouse was
“Although our overall immediate reaction was
established, groups of MD 20 volunteers from upstate New
shock and disbelief, we started to network the
York traveled down to volunteer on a regular basis.
same evening, communicating across the state
When the FAF camps were organized after the initial
about things that could be done. The big ques-
phase of the Lions effort, the Upstate area was also the site
tion was simply ‘what can we do to help?’
for a very successful bereavement camp. Local clubs did
One of the major lessons we learned was you
their own fundraising, donating to LCIF and selected chari-
can never communicate enough. There is sim-
table organizations.
ply no policy manual for dealing with a
“This effort shows what networking can do,” PID Cordes
tragedy of this magnitude. I believe our
said. “We did not help families directly on a large scale;
response shows the value of organizing quick-
instead we mobilized to help in the areas we could and were
ly, communicating effectively, and then taking
very effective.”
planned and focused action to fill needs that have been properly identified.”
One of the major lessons we learned was you can never communicate enough. View of Ground Zero Lion’s Club
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9/11 Report
aster. When these types of special needs were expressed,
GREATER WASHINGTON D.C.
DG Glenn Ryburn of northern Virginia D 24-A was on his way to work at the Pentagon when the plane struck the complex.
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Ryburn saw the plume of smoke, found out what was
happening from his car radio. He turned around, drove
Lions always tried to find ways to answer them.
With the assistance of the 9/11 Central Steering
Committee, D.C. area Lions connected with the Friendship Ambassador’s Foundation to provide several healing
retreats for the families of victims at the Coolfont Center in West Virginia. Dozens of families directly affected were
helped, with representatives of Congress, the Pentagon, and the State Department participating.
home, walked into his house, and immediately went to work networking with fellow Lions from the greater Washington, D.C. area.
Ryburn and his fellow Lions used their own credit cards
to purchase the basic supplies they thought would be needed
at the Pentagon, taking them to a rescue station set up by the Salvation Army. The same night, they contacted LCIF and got an immediate $10,000 grant.
Area Lions volunteered at the site as long as they were
required and then switched their efforts to answering other needs of survivors and their families.
When many lost their incomes and had homes that were
financially threatened and the Lions helped to meet short-
term expenses. The anthrax scare followed on the heels of the plane crash. Once again, Lions were proactive in helping affected families. Lions’ direct financial assistance
efforts continued for about eight months. They then began reaching out into other
areas, seeking families that needed help
in unique ways. For example, Lions provided a laptop computer for a college
Security camera photo of Pentagon after attack
R E F L E C T I O N “Our efforts post-9/11 pretty much guided my life for quite a while. That first year I had a single purpose. It was tremendously fulfilling, an experience that shaped my days and changed me for the better.” PDG Glenn Ryburn
student when his family couldn’t afford it because of the after effects of the dis-
Lion’s Club
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9/11 Report
MASSACHUSETTS
assachusetts was really where the events of September 11 started.
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The two planes that crashed into the Twin Towers took
off from Boston, carrying many New Englanders, including Amy Sweeney, a heroic flight attendant from Acton.
All told, there were about 180 Massachusetts residents
on the planes, including Ms. Sweeney and one of the pilots. As news of the events unfolded, Lions from MD 33 knew
that there would be a lot to do. Under the direction of Past
International Director Chuck Kostro, they set up an operational committee, and he represented the Multiple on the larger steering committee.
Like many other Multiples, MD 33 Lions used the
programs and structures of New York’s MD 20 as a
model. They realized early on that families did not want
financial assistance so much as emotional support. Lions wanted to provide that support and decided they would do whatever had to be done to help families in need.
The relief provided by MD 33 Lions fell into two
broad categories: their own extended family program and healing camps and retreats.
The camps sponsored by Massachusetts Lions were
very successful.
The first, held over Halloween weekend in 2003, was
at Clara Barton Camp in Oxford in cooperation with the Friendship Ambassadors Foundation and drew about 50 families. Lions turned out to help at the camp, forging
special memories and relationships with participants.
The second camp was held for two weeks over the
summer of 2004 at Camp Lapham in Ashby, Mass.
Lion’s Club
R E F L E C T I O N Lion Chuck Kostro described some personal experiences. “In terms of providing personal assistance, there are so many stories to tell. Just being able to help people and see the looks on their faces was wonderful. You can’t put a dollar value on something like that. I remember one request where a young woman had died in the crash. A friend of hers put up a Web site about her, but her grandfather couldn’t use a computer. One of our members trained him on the computer so he could visit the site.
Another woman had a husband on the flight who was a dedicated gardener, but she knew little about gardening, even though she wanted to keep what he had done as a legacy. A local Lion who was an expert farmer and gardener showed her what to do and another connection was made.
Still another experience was at one of our weekend camps. It was Halloween and one of the first things the counselors had the children do was decorate pumpkins. A little girl drew the Twin Towers on hers and showed objects flying off. She said they were body parts. The counselor showed her how to turn them into angel wings and the little girl began to smile.
A mother with two young children at one of our camps had a one-year-old that never knew her father. She told me this was the first time she had been out with her children since her husband’s death. I also remember a young girl who was a dancer and had stopped dancing after September 11. When she left our camp, she was dancing again for the first time.”
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Seventy-five children came from Massachusetts, New York, Maryland and D.C. to participate in a variety of traditional camping activities. The FAF counselors
spent extensive time with each camper, drawing on their experiences with other children who had experienced disaster in countries like Bosnia and Turkey.
Massachusetts Lions also sponsored several day camps for children of vic-
tims’ families in the summer of 2003. Organized by Vocal Afar, the camps
offered outdoor programs that included rope and rock climbing, and lessons in mountaineering.
Massachusetts Lions provided direct financial assistance on a local level,
including establishing a scholarship fund. They also donated funds to specific charities that offered additional services.
MARYLAND AND DELAWARE arley Travers, Past International Director, played a key role
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in organizing Lions’ efforts in MD 22, a large area that covers the entire Delmarva Peninsula. Lion Travers said that despite the shock of the initial
Most of the funds raised were donated to LCIF and relief
agencies. Many of the clubs acted autonomously, raising
funds and donating them to the organizations of their choice. In addition to fundraising, Lions also participated in FAF
bereavement retreats held at Coolfont, attending sessions, and working as volunteers.
first days of the tragedy, his Multiple organized quickly to raise funds.
We worked as a team and pulled it all together
R E F L E C T I O N
Because of
“Our efforts in MD 22 were a great example of Lions stepping up to the plate when help was needed. It was an extremely rewarding experience for me personally, including my service on the Steering Committee. We worked as a
their distance from the
Pentagon, these
Lions had very little contact with survivors but worked with great dedication to raise needed monies for the cause. In addition several groups of Lions from the district volunteered to work at the Spring Street Warehouse. Between
team and pulled it all together.”
fundraising activities and volunteering at the Warehouse,
-- PID Darley Travers
Lion Travers estimates that members in his Multiple put in about 3,400 volunteer hours and accounted for about $1.2
million dollars in donated goods and funds, including truckloads of rescue gear that were taken to the Warehouse.
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9/11 Report
I
NEW JERSEY
R E F L E C T I O N
n the days following the tragedy, Lion Elspeth Moore, then District Governor, assumed the role of New Jersey coordinator, along with PID Charles
Overlooking Lower Manhattan
“I am a schoolteacher and was in my high school classroom in West New York, New Jersey, on Monday morning, September 11. Our school building overlooked lower Manhattan.
Wiemer and PID Stan Grossman. They formed the New Jersey committee and were members of the larger 9/11 Central Steering Committee.
New Jersey Lions decided to focus their efforts on providing
financial assistance for victims and families in New Jersey. Using the model developed by the 9/11 Steering Committee, they paid bills for things like rent, mortgage payments, and utilities in amounts up to $5,000.
In addition to funds raised locally, between August 2002 and
“At 8:50 a teacher came running into my classroom, saying: ‘Look out the window, a plane has hit the World Trade Center!’
“Between that time and for the rest of the day, we watched the whole thing happen. We kept the school open, which I think was the right decision to care for the students and avoid the jammed roads. That day is burned into my memory forever.”
PDG Elspeth Moore
June 2003, LCIF made six grants to MD-16 totaling $119,671 for victims’ assistance in the state of New Jersey.
AROUND THE WORLD
In addition to support from Lions in the U.S.A., members from around the world mobilized to provide a strong outpouring of financial and emotional support. Dozens of countries participated through donations to the Disaster Fund, including Japan, Pakistan, Turkey, India, England, Northern Ireland, South Africa, the Netherlands, Australia, Peru, Chile, and Germany, to name only a few. Support ranged from words of sympathy to offers of financial support.
The flood of support highlighted the worldwide nature of the Lions Club and was a This poster, sold in italy, raised nearly $13000. The funds were donated to the Suozzi Childrens’ tribute to our organization. Fund. NYC Fireman Suozzo left behind a wife and 4 children.
Lion’s Club
18
New Jersey Lions also participated in local
camps and retreats organized by the
Friendship Ambassadors Foundation. Lion
Moore estimates that New Jersey Lions pro-
vided direct assistance to about 60 New Jersey families. Some were one-time payments,
while others were spread out over a period of up to six months.
In addition to Committee work, individual
New Jersey clubs helped out in their own
towns and volunteered at the Spring Street
Warehouse. Many clubs held memorials in
towns and “took care of their own,” raising
and donating thousands of dollars. The town of Middletown was especially hard hit because of the large number of Cantor
Fitzgerald employees who lived there and Lions worked hard on their behalf.
9/11 Report
PHASE III –
LIONS’ EFFORTS TOUCH THOUSANDS Healing Retreats Bring Comfort
Once Lions had addressed emergency and shorter-term needs following September 11, the 9/11 Central Steering Committee turned its efforts in the direction of helping to provide long-term healing for affected families. This took the form of family retreats and in partnering with other non-profit agencies working in specific ways to assist victims and their families.
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E
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Dr. Elaine Valdov Psychotherapist for FAF reflects:
O
N
“It feels impossible ---
To put into words, the profound grief that was felt for all who died in the terrible attacks of September 11 – and for their families; To have had even the smallest amount of understanding of what families must have faced each day, and still face, in this new life they were forced to create;
To have had to express the bottomless disbelief and anger felt at the senseless murder of thousands of innocent persons; and
To have had to search for a way to satisfy the seemingly insatiable need for understanding, justice and peace.
We can all shake our heads in understanding of these words, still feeling the lump in our throats and deeply saddened remembrances of the unimaginable day. Much has changed in the lives of people around the globe, as we continue our quest for peace and a just and compassionate world. But during this difficult time in our personal global history, I believe as we continue to travel the long road ahead, that together we will find (and are finding) ways to move toward hope and healing – in our lives, our nation and the world.”
--Written on September 11, 2003
FRIENDSHIP AMBASSADORS FOUNDATION (FAF) PROGRAMS
fter searching for an agency that could provide the type of ongoing therapeutic assistance needed, the 9/11 Central
A
Steering Committee contacted the Friendship Ambassadors Foundation (FAF), now headquartered in Greenwich, CT, to discuss establishing a series of programs to help young people and families cope with their losses. The Friendship Ambassadors Foundation, a cultural serv-
ices agency with international affiliations and representation, was founded in 1973. FAF is well known for its highly suc-
cessful arts-based programming used to assist victims of the
conflicts in Eastern Europe during and after the Balkan War. Many of its staff are from around the world and are well versed in combining the arts with healing.
FAF has facilitated many international exchange programs.
Their programs have included many well-known participants over the past decades, including United Nations Secretary
General Kofi Annan, author Alex Haley, and Mother Teresa of
Calcutta. Through its outreach programs, FAF has touched the lives of thousands of private citizens. Impressed with FAF’s history of
healing programs based on cultural exchange, Lions met with Executive Director
Patrick Sciaratta to
enlist his organization’s
assistance. The result was the launching of “Finding
New Hope,” a summer camping
program that used the arts and person-to person cultural
exchange to help victims of trauma.
Under the able and dedicated leadership of project direc-
tor Szilvia Agoston, “Finding New Hope” combined various disciplines of art and creativity, as well as psychotherapy to successfully promote healing, growth, and empowerment. The first initiative under Lions/FAF auspices was the
“Little Heroes Camp” held during the summer of 2002. It was funded by a $70,000 grant from LCIF and served as the model for future Finding New Hope programs.
That camp served a total of 108 children and was held at
the J.V. Mara Catholic Youth Organization Camp in Putnam Valley, New York. FAF sought out a day camp that also
house resident campers. Sponsored children participated in an integrated “normal” camp session during the day, com-
bined with special programming aimed specifically for the children of 9/11.
During the day, campers enjoyed all of the traditional
activities of the day camp, including swimming, hiking, adventure programming, a farm, and livestock.
From the afternoon on and into the evening, FAF offered
special therapeutic programming in music, dance, theater
and the visual arts for the affected children. Skilled counselors and thera-
pists worked one-on-one with the children to help them heal through the arts, creating a positive and uplifting environment for participants.
“Finding New Hope” sought to help the healing process through giving
victims the opportunity to release themselves emotionally and express
their feelings creatively. The program provided them with the tools for
finding inner peace and the opportunity to rebuild the trust lost by the devastation of losing a loved one.
The program enhanced personal healing and helped prevent possible
future trauma resulting from grief, anger, fear and self-blame. “Finding
New Hope” engaged participants in a way that helped them come to terms with their feelings while respecting and appreciating cultural diversity.
R E F L E C T I O N
“During the day camp my group was in the pool for one period. A boy was there
alone. He started crying, telling me that he was going to his cabin. I went with another
counselor and found him in his cabin, where he took his pillow and started hysterically crying again. We started talking and he said: “My father and uncle died in the twin towers and I can’t stop thinking about it.”
“I had tears in my eyes again. My heart choked and for a second I asked myself thou-
sands of questions. So we started talking about the camp and the kids and the friends that he made and for a moment he was laughing, but then he started crying again.”
“So I retold him my life story about growing up in Bosnia and he said: ‘I have a story for you.’ He
told me that he found out about his father and uncle dying at 2 a.m. when he heard his mother crying in her bedroom. She was pregnant. He felt guilty about them dying and he missed his father so much. We talked a lot and explained a lot of things to each other. We ate chocolates and we played games.
Afterwards, he was busy all the time at camp. The last day we played basketball. While we were waiting for his mother to come and pick him up, we talked and he was happy and smiling as we said goodbye.”
-Dajana Ognjanoska FAF Peer Counselor
Lion’s Club
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9/11 Report
The camp was such an unqualified success that the Lions
decided to continue with them in coming summers and also
partner with FAF on establishing a variety of other programs dedicated to healing and reconciliation.
The many youth camps and family retreats held in New
York State, New England, the Washington D.C. area,
Connecticut, and California have touched the lives of hun-
dreds of individuals affected by the events of September 11.
Between 2002 and 2005, the LCIF Emergency Fund granted a total of $1,398,230 in funding to support these incredible healing camps.
A child learns Native American “spirit” drumming
Using the initial experience as a model, FAF implemented weekend family retreats, a three-week long adventure-based
camp program for children, and a series of four weeklong children’s summer camps. The camps were held in different parts of the country. Each one put a special emphasis on creating a friendly and supportive environment while offering participants a healing and inspiring experience.
Lions provided additional funding as the program expanded. New facilitators were added, along with additional structured
therapy and counseling. FAF created a successful referral network and acquired additional peer counselors to enhance an
encouraging and compassionate environment. Family retreats were scheduled to cover weekends with special significance, such as Christmas and Mother’s Day.
COOLFONT RETREATS
ealing retreats offered at the Coolfont Resort and Conference Center in West Virgina were another especially successful initiative.
H
Under the dedicated leadership of Lion Glenn Ryburn, these retreats reached out to people who lost their loved ones in the attack on the Pentagon.
The events drew many distinguished guests, including New York’s beloved “singing police-
man,” Danny Rodriguez, and the Arts Triumphant Dance Theatre, featuring dancers from the Philadelphia Ballet.
Over the course of the three Coolfont weekends, 9/11 survivors and their families participat-
ed in a series of special workshops. Once again, FAF used the arts to promote healing and selfexpression giving participants an opportunity to learn from their workshop experiences how to help with the future.
All in all, the Lions collaboration with the Friendship Ambassador’s Foundation from 2002
through 2005 was an unqualified success.
Danny Rodriguez New York’s beloved “singing policeman”
Lion’s Club
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9/11 Report
The Last Retreat
T
he most recent, and possibly final, FAF retreat was held March 17 through 19 at St.
Gabriel’s Spiritual Center for Youth in Shelter Island Heights, New York. Lucia Dundara, International Program Coordinator, described some of the elements of the successful weekend. Funding came from the 9/11 Central Steering Committee and money raised by
Four and a half years later, the need for healing is still there....
District 20 K-1 and 20S on Long Island.
The weekend was focused on individuals from Long Island, who lost a relative on 9/11. More than four years after the
tragedy, twenty-seven people attended, including a dozen under the age of 16.
“The dedicated involvement of the Lions was the key to the success of this program. Their warmth, compassion, open
minds, and honest hearts were felt throughout the retreat. The combination of two FAF projects, “Finding New Hope” and “Feel the Music” allowed us to present a very rich program”
“One of our participants was a man that was severely
injured, both physically and emotionally in the attacks. As a result, his one attempt to participate in a 9/11 related pro-
gram two years ago had been full of anxiety and stress. But
with the dedication of our staff and support provided him for
weeks before the retreat, and during the event, he was able to participate. He and his wife had a wonderful time, making this an important step on his road to recovery.”
Four and a half years later, the need for healing is still there.
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9/11 Report
Retreat Participants Speak
“I had been overwhelmed over the Holidays, having no money or job due to the World Trade disaster and the loss of my mother. During the weekend, I met people of different ethnic backgrounds. We encouraged one another through the things we suffered. We shared our thoughts, crying, holding hands, and giving hugs. My family had the best time in a long time. I thank God for all who made this weekend happen.” “I was getting angry with everybody. Here I found out there are a lot of nice people. Not everybody is bad. The only thing you have to do is open your heart.” “I must extend my deepest gratitude to you for giving my family an opportunity to spend a weekend in Peekskill, which was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable times we had since September 11. My two kids did not want to come home. I have never been to a weekend getaway as beautiful as this one. It restored my peace of mind.” “I was truly happy to meet so many families from so many different backgrounds. The sessions and exercises were good therapy for the mind and soul.”
Camp Sunshine
ay of Hope,” was the positive and uplifting name selected for the week-long healing camps held at Camp Sunshine in
“R
Casco, Maine held from June 2002 to July 2005.
Bronx Lion Marty Grossman spearheaded the effort that led
to the camps as part of our long-term commitment to 9/11 families. Each of the week-long programs was aided by dozens of
Lion volunteers who worked in kitchens, grounds, housekeep-
R E F L E C T I O N “We felt we needed to do everything possible
to make these families feel that they were not
being left out. Our “Ray of Hope” camps pro-
vided a safe nurturing environment where they could come together and share the healing
process. It felt right and good to do it. The positive ripple effect we created will reach out and touch many people in many different ways.”
Matthew M. Hoidal, Esq.
ing, and as mentors and assistants to the professional staff.
Executive Director Camp Sunshine
Host Camp Sunshine is a special retreat for children with
life-threatening illnesses and their families. Located on the shores of Lake Sebago, the camp features modern facilities
In addition to traditional camping fun, counseling ses-
and activities for all ages and interests. Its serene, wooded
sions and workshops were held each day to give adults and
fun and camaraderie abound with indoor and outdoor swim-
facing similar losses. The healing sessions also offered the
setting is ideal for healing and reflection, while activities for ming, boating, fishing and overnight camping, and a variety of arts and crafts activities.
Lion Grossman worked with camp executive director
Matt Hoidal to develop the “Ray of Hope” program. The
9/11 Disaster Fund sponsored the camps. Each session was open to 40 individuals and was funded at a total cost of $72,000 per session.
Bob Klein presents a check to Camp Sunshine founder Anna Gould
children the chance to share their experiences with others opportunity to develop a network of friends and coping
strategies to ease the pain felt by the family. Sessions were
organized by Camp Sunshine Psychosocial Director, Nancy Cincotta, C.S.W.
Over the three summers the camps were held, close to
500 individuals were served. Many families attended camp each summer.
LEVERAGING THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS
T
ime was passing. As Lions moved further away from providing direct assistance to families, the Steering Committee discussed how to use remaining funds, totaling about US$1,000,000 in the most effective way possible.
In 2002, a decision was reached to request grant proposals from non-profit agencies already working with survivor
groups. The goal was to fund 9/11 assistance activities for their clients. Lions wanted to leverage their influence to the maximum extent possible. Requests for proposals were sent out and a dozen grant applications were received. After careful scrutiny by subcommittees of the 9/11 Central Steering Committee, six were selected and funded at $100,000 each.
The grants went to organizations already providing practical assistance to 9/11 victims. The Chinese American Planning
Council; Center for Independence of the Disabled in New York; Davidson Community Center; Henry Street Settlement; September Space; and Tuesday’s Children all received grants.
toward the goal of economic self-sufficiency and integration
Chinese American Planning Council
he Chinese American Planning Council program was called “Literacy and Home Care Training for 9/11 Victims.” It focused on
T
job training for victims of 9/11. The Chinese-
American Planning Council, headquartered in lower
Manhattan’s Chinatown, is one of the largest non-profit
providers of education, social and community services for
into the American mainstream.
The Literacy-Home Care Training program was designed
to benefit Chinese immigrants working in or near the
Financial District who were unemployed after the September 11 terrorist attack. It took a two-pronged approach, combin-
ing localized English literacy classes and a training program
in home care services. Home care was selected because it is a stable source of employment with modest entry requirements that make it ideal for English-deficient workers.
The home care program was closely intertwined with a
Asian Americans in the U.S. Founded in 1965, it serves
literacy program to
locations across New York City. Programs include commu-
find secure employ-
more than 6,000 people daily through 50 programs in 23
nity services, child care, youth services, employment and training, senior services, housing, and cultural services.
Its mission is to improve the qual-
ity of life of Chinese Americans in chinese characters for healing
New York City by providing access to services, skills and resources
Lion’s Club
help participants
ment in an industry that survived
unscathed in the
economic downturn after 9/11. The goal
was to enroll at least 60 clients from
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9/11 Report
PDG Mike Santos presents Lions check to Chinese American Planning Council. PID Albert Brandel (l) and PCC Angelo Purcigliotti (r) look on.
around the city in a special Home Care Program and to also
teach them English literacy. Upon graduation, clients would
R E F L E C T I O N
be certified to work as Home Attendants/Home Health Care
“I am happy that LCIF could contribute to
Aides throughout New York State.
the long-term recovery of this vital New York
As of June 30, 2004, Lions Club funds had been used to
community by working with CPC, which has
train 68 clients and provide them with English literacy
an excellent reputation and a long history of
skills. All clients were first generation immigrants. About
providing employment and training services
37% had no income when they entered the program.
in the community.”
All 68 clients completed the classes and passed the State
Home Attendant certification exam. Of these, 29 attended the
Lion Sue Jenner, President
New York Cosmopolitan Lions Club
program’s English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. Fifty-
District 20 R2
four of the clients sought placement services, with an unusually high degree of success.
CIDNY is a not-for-profit, non-residential independent liv-
Center for Independence of the Disabled in New York (CIDNY)
C
IDNY used its $100,000 grant
to fund a variety of educational and out-
reach activities for disabled 9/11 victims.
ing center located in Manhattan It is dedicated to conducting advocacy and providing services to people with disabilities.
Goals and services include removing physical and social barriers for the disabled and helping to provide the tools for them to live independently, achieve financial stability, and enjoy equal opportunity.
Among other things, the organization seeks to raise awareness
by educating the public on helping people with disabilities; pro-
viding information on job training, career counseling, and education programs; and offering benefits counseling, information and referrals help with finding housing, arranging for transportation, and managing everyday life and tasks.
Activities were predicated on the fact that WTC victims with
existing or new disabilities often did not receive the assistance
required for a variety of reasons. CIDNY’s goal in requesting the
grant was to resolve problems and remove barriers to assistance by combining direct service/advocacy and education and technical assistance activities.
Outreach was an important component of the program. CIDNY
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9/11 Report
focused a large part of its LCIF-funded efforts on reaching out to overlooked groups of elderly and/or disabled people residing in public housing in the downtown area.
Networking was conduced with the American Red Cross, FEMA and other organizations to provide the disabled with the
information needed to obtain all available benefits.
Specific outreach activities includ-
ed a variety of health seminars and
workshops conducted in cooperation
with other agencies and health care providers, and development of special outreach materials for disabled victims of the 9/11 attacks. CIDNY also con-
tributed information and expertise to U.S. government on developing referral resources in the areas of healthcare coverage, housing and disability-specific
We touched the lives of scores of disabled individuals and helped them get their lives back on track after the events of 9/11.
services.
All in all, Lions’ funded initiatives at CIDNY touched the lives of scores of disabled individuals and helped them get
their lives back on track.
Davidson Community Center
he Davidson Community Center used its $100,000 Lions funding to establish a program -- “9/11 Emergency Service Station” -- to assist Bronx residents who suf-
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fered emotional trauma from 9/11 attacks or who were in need of transitional services due to lost employment or job cutbacks.
The Davidson Community Center, founded in 1968, is a not-
for-profit organization that provides low income families with an array of social services programs, including after-school
care, career counseling, emergency food pantry, social service counseling, as well as health and senior citizen advocacy.
The organization’s mission is simply to help families in
Lion’s Club
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9/11 Report
need by providing these services. The creation of the Lions Club 9/11 Emergency Services Station fit perfectly with that goal in the wake of 9/11.
The goal of the program was to offer vocational, education, job training, employment and psychosocial support serv-
ices to 9/11 families that resided in the area. The current per capita income of area residents is below the average for the Bronx and over 40 percent of adults do not have a high school diploma. Many live in public housing and receive public assistance. They are among “the working poor,” who are most easily displaced from employment in the wake of an event such as 9/11.
R E F L E C T I O N “Our staff continues to provide the much
needed services, placement and follow-ups that are required. We are committed to help our clients achieve the ultimate goal – being
employed and fulfilling their obligation as a primary household provider.”
Angel Caballero
Executive Director
Davidson Community Center
With these facts in mind, the Center developed the
9/11 Emergency Service Station program with the
goal of creating a client-friendly, one-stop model that provided all of the services and referrals needed;
developing job readiness, placement and transitional development workshops; and developing and implementing employment, training and education programs to members of the displaced workforce.
The results were overwhelming and stretched staff
resources to the limited.
The Davidson Community Center’s first year 9/11
program received over 4,000 telephone and walk-in
inquiries. More then 2,400 clients were recruited for different programs and over 1,500 enrolled. Educational referrals
were made for 962 clients, vocational referrals for 169, and 396 completed a job- readiness program. To date, 66 individuals have been placed in jobs, with a 97% retention rate.
Program administrators said that more individuals would have been placed in jobs if additional staffing had been
available. That level of success continues and the impact is felt throughout this area of the Bronx. The Center hopes to obtain additional funding so it can add to staff and increase services and job placements.
Henry Street Settlement
CIF provided $100,000 in funding to the Henry Street Settlement
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to expand their staff and resources to help
Chinatown’s 9/11 displaced workers re-enter the workforce with better paying jobs and add to an improved quality of
life. The program, which started in October of 2003, was
called the “9/11 Emergency Employment Clearinghouse.”
The world-famous Henry Street Settlement was founded
in 1893 by pioneering social worker Lillian Wald. Based on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Henry Street Settlement
delivers a wide range of social service and arts programming to more than 100,000 New Yorkers each year. The organization is known for its strong connection to its neighbors and its ability to address new problems with quick and innovative solutions. It has a strong record of accomplishment in
helping families achieve better lives for themselves and their children.
Divisions include a multidisciplinary arts center, shelter,
supportive behavioral and health services, senior services,
home care services, a workforce development division, day care centers, and after school and summer programs for neighborhood youth.
The 9/11 Emergency Employment Clearinghouse helped
workers who had lost their jobs to to 9/11 events by enhancing their work skills and
assisting them to
re-enter the work force.
The program
goals included
The results were overwhelming and stretched staff resources to the limit.
outreach, intake, assessment, and referral to 600 victims and families directly affected by 9/11 events; immediate job
placement to more than 300 individuals; enrollment of 250
participants in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes; providing job retention services to 300 or more newly
R E F L E C T I O N
“We thank the Lions Club International Foundation for helping us provide these important services that have allowed displaced workers re-enter the workforce. Your support has helped New York City’s most economically vulnerable residents regain their self-sufficiency and lay the foundation for more stable futures.”
Verona Middleton-Jeter
Executive Director Henry Street Settlement
Lion’s Club
employed clients; linking 450 clients to other social services and forging other partnerships for additional assistance with basic living needs.
Outreach was conducted among other community agencies,
libraries, schools and day care centers. This resulted in excel-
lent recruitment of new applicants. The intake process evaluated the needs of applicants for services. These steps were fol-
lowed by enrollment in a housekeeping training program that
included orientation, ESL classes, hands-on training, job placement, ongoing support and post-employment services.
Administrators reported that Henry Street settlement met
and even exceeded its goals by 20%, serving 724 clients.
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9/11 Report
September Space
CIF awarded September Space $100,000 for several initiatives, which included “Career Night Services: From Resume to Retirement,”
L
geared to providing outreach, education and assistance to many of the New Yorkers who either lost jobs due to 9/11 or decided to pursue different career paths in its aftermath. “Career Night Services” was established in July of 2003. September Space was estab-
lished as a not-for-profit organization in February of 2002 in the aftermath of the events of
September 11. The organization was founded by volunteers who served during the World Trade
Center relief effort. September
Space provided an ongoing social PID Bob Klein, Lisa Orloff, Executive Director of September Space and PDG Michael Santos.
others who were left unemployed due to cutbacks and closing of companies around the area.
The Lions-funded program included resume workshops
and critique sessions; advice from recruiters on self-marketing and interview techniques; professional career counsel-
ing; financial planning workshops; seminars on optimal verbal communication; and computer skills training.
September Space also collaborated with other organiza-
tions to create additional initiatives.
These included “Celebrate U,” a virtual university center-
ing on positive support and encouragement to learn new
interpersonal and business skills; “Verbal Judo,” which combined Western and Eastern philosophies to examine the
nature of conflict and teach the best methods of communication and resolution; and “Financial Planning.” Held in
cooperation with the Financial Planning Association, this
program offered participants seminars on personal finance planning and one-on-one financial planning advice.
and emotional support network for
R E F L E C T I O N
volunteers and others affected by
“World Cares Center and September
the disaster.
Space would like to thank the Lions Club for their generous support to help develop the September Space community center ‘From Resume to Retirement’ program. Our programming continues to evolve to address the changing needs of the 9/11 community and we hope to expand our relationship with the Lions Clubs through our Disaster Preparation and Trauma mitigation programs.”
Thanks to the Lions-funded program, the organization
also focused on providing a wide range of services, out-
reach, lectures and workshops to help New Yorkers whose careers were affected by the September 11 attack.
The Lions Club grant also helped September Space pur-
chase computer equipment for the Lions Club Readiness
Center, housed in a newly renovated 4,800 square foot office in midtown Manhattan.
Career Nights provided services and education combined
--Lisa Orloff Founder and Executive Director
with social support for a complete job readiness-training
program. Participants ranged from individuals who lost jobs housed in the Twin Towers or adjacent office buildings to Lion’s Club
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9/11 Report
Tuesday’s Children
uesday’s Children received $100,000 in funding for a community-based mentoring program designed to reach out to the hundreds
T
of Staten Island children who lost a parent or husband due to the events of 9/11. The program was called “The Lions Mentoring 9/11 Children’s Initiative.”
Tuesday’s Children was formed to promote family advoca-
cy to help individuals cope with their losses. They provided
services in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York City.
With a motto of “by the families, for the families”, the orga-
nization’s internal structure and registration process, afforded Tuesday’s Children a high level of trust with 9/11 families.
After its founding in 2002, Tuesday's Children spent the
next several months building programs based on family and community interaction and insuring effective program execution. The organization focused on a wide variety of pro-
Tuesday’s Children staff recruited qualified volunteer
mentors for the program and held family-based events that engaged potential mentors and family members to get involved in the program.
Mentors initially met weekly with their mentees each
Wednesday night for two hours at the Catholic Youth Organization facility in Staten Island.
Weekly supervision
and regular follow-up to make sure that
matches were pro-
gressing well was an integral part of the program. Each week saw a planned activity, including outings in the community.
As the program expanded, Tuesday’s Children began to
offer community-based mentoring, where mentors could
meet with mentees in the communities where they lived, as an alternative to site-based mentoring.
By the end of the funding period dozens of Staten Island
families were recipients of the program.
grams targeting the entire family unit, from toddler to teens to Moms, through community-based programs.
The founder of Tuesday’s Children promised that no child who lost a parent would be without a mentor until that child reached the age of majority. Lions’ funds supported the mentoring needs of young
people age 6 to 16 who lost a parent or caregiver as a result
of September 11. Mentors were recruited and experts paired each child with a caring adult who understood the child’s
needs and interests and was prepared to address those needs. Expert counsel was provided throughout the course of the mentoring relationship.
Lion’s Club
By the Families, for the families
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9/11 Report
LIONS CLUB INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION PERSPECTIVE “A DEFINING MOMENT”
On September 11, 2001 Lion Peter Lynch, Manager of the LCIF grant programs department, was
responsible for all disaster relief and emergency grants. Lion Troy Jewell was the program’s assistant manager. Here are their recollections and insights:
“The events of September 11 and their aftermath marked a defining moment and a turning point in the history of the Lions Club International Foundation,” said Mr. Lynch. “Since that time we have tailored our responses to other disasters, like the 2004 Tsunami and the 2005 Hurricane Katrina, on the blueprint developed for dealing with 9/11.” Mr. Lynch said that he and his associates are extremely proud of the LCIF response: “We acted quickly
and decisively and came out of it a better organization. We raised the bar of how we respond to disaster relief, setting a new standard for future efforts.”
Mr. Jewell recalled the events of September 11 from LCIF’s midwestern vantage point.
“In the Chicago area, we got the first reports about 8 a.m., our time,” he said. “Many of us were late
getting in to work that morning because we watched what was happening on our home televisions. We were all shocked, frightened and tremendously upset as events unfolded. All of us were tremendously concerned about our Lions and other friends, family and associates in the affected areas.”
When LCIF staffers made it into work, their response to events began immediately, against what Mr. Jewell
describes as the “eerie” backdrop of silence from the busy O’Hare International Airport flyways above the
headquarters building. “Looking up, we first saw dozens of planes circling, and then emptiness, as the nation’s air routes were all shut down,” Mr. Jewell recalled. “It was very strange and very affecting.”
Both men say that they started getting the first requests for emergency grant funding the same after-
noon. LCIF quickly became “relief central.”
Mr. Lynch immediately contacted LCIF Foundation Chairman Jean Behar, who was in France at the
time. “In addition to authorizing several $10,000 grants, I asked for $100,000 to be designated as seed money to allow for quick relief action to begin,” he said.
Mr. Lynch said that establishing the beginnings of relief financing went smoothly. “We knew right
away that we should not be bound by our normal procedures and decided to cut through ‘red tape,” he
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said. “We e-mailed Lions around the world to let them know that we were the central clearing house for disseminating funds and information. This was our first full test of e-mail as an emergency networking tool and it went very well.”
Mr. Jewell said that headquarters staff felt the tragedy deeply. “Over the course of the initial days and weeks,
we were completely tied into all breaking news,” he said.
“Our hearts, thoughts and prayers went out to everyone affected. It was sometimes hard to concentrate on the job at hand, but we kept at it. We were all touched deeply by the response of Lions from around the country and around the world. It was a tremendous outpouring of support.” Both saw the Lions immediate relief efforts as highly effective.
“It was an impressive response,” said Mr. Lynch. “We acted quickly but also made sure that things were coordi-
nated, setting up central, regional and local committees as needed, all under the umbrella of the 9/11 Central
Steering Committee. Programs were devised and funds were disbursed with care and efficiency. We had to deal
with so much – volunteers, donors, individuals and families requesting assistance – that without a strong structure, a good response would have been impossible.”
Mr. Jewell said that good leadership was key. “We were quick and precise and had great leadership on every
level,” he said. “Lions found out what was needed right away and we did what we needed to do.” As the first, intense weeks of response morphed into a different phase and focus,
LCIF’s role began to change.
“At this point, we began to focus on the unmet, intermediate needs,” said Mr.
Lynch. “We wanted to help victims who had ‘fallen through the cracks’ such as peo-
ple forced out of their homes and those who had lost employment. That was one ori-
gin of our victim’s assistance program and later, in an effort to meet emotional needs, our series of FAF healing
camps. The camps were extremely important and helped many victims find their way back to emotional normalcy in their lives.”
Mr. Jewell agreed. “The feedback on the camps has been fantastic, he said. “Participants just loved them and,
even now, want them to continue. FAF did a wonderful job.”
Both men described the final phase of relief efforts – the disbursement of six $100,000 grants to organizations
dedicated to attending to the needs of 9/11 victims - as highly successful and an outstanding leveraging of resources.
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“Because some of our grants geared towards employment opportunities, victims of 9/11 got practical, hands-on
help and job training,” said Mr. Jewell. “The programs were all realistic and down to earth. We knew our money was being used to a very good effect and would have a lasting benefit. And other organizations, such as the
Davidson Community Center, established things like their food pantry, that also provided practical assistance to victims.”
Mr. Lynch said the six grants were a “logical progression” of Lions’ relief efforts.
“At that point in time, we were looking at long-term needs,” he said. “We had already done short and medium-
term planning and relief. These organizations were all carefully selected and had something concrete and practical to offer. We filled in a lot of gaps. The programs have also strengthened relationships with local Lions, relationships that have remained in place after all of the money has been allocated and spent.”
Mr. Lynch summed up the Lions 9/11 relief efforts succinctly. “We had strong leadership; we thought strategi-
cally; we cut through red tape; made the appropriate contacts and connections; used our resources wisely; had strict accountability; and moved as quickly as possible throughout,” he said.
“Our organization’s response to 9/11 has set the standard for what we now do in providing emergency relief, a
standard that will hold us in good stead for the future.”
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Second Anniversary at Ground Zero
“I remember attending Second Anniversary Ceremonies at Ground Zero. I felt like something of an outsider, but because of all of our efforts, I also felt like I belonged.
The ceremony itself was very moving, but I was even more moved by the spontaneous stories I heard from New Yorkers. The female bartender at my hotel right across the street from Ground Zero told me that her brother had died in the attack on the Twin Towers and that she thought about it every day of her life as she came to work. Everyone -- doormen, taxi drivers, and so many other people – had a story to tell. September 11, 2001 is branded in our minds forever and the world is a totally different place.” Troy R. Jewell Lions Club International Foundation
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CONCLUSION
As Lions look back over the history of our 9/11 relief efforts, they should
be a source of pride to all. The lives of thousands of victims were touched in a positive, practical and life-affirming way.
From our quick reaction and outstanding planning right after the event,
This is why we volunteer. Lions make a difference!
through our formulation and careful management of programs to “fill in the
gaps” during the interim phase, and on to our leveraging of donated funds through support retreats, and grants to agencies
that helped so many, Lions can be assured that the $3.2 million donated to the cause was used in the best and most effective way possible.
It is impossible to mention the names of everyone who played a role in this effort. You number in the hundreds and we
thank you, each and every one. You played a critical role during an extremely traumatic period in our history and with your help, Lions were able to mobilize quickly to obtain the maximum benefit.
Now our work is done. But our efforts will live on in the minds and hearts of those we helped. Our 9/11 relief efforts
captured the very essence of what being a Lion is all about.
To quote a mother who attended a bereavement camp: “Yes, there is a God, and we were in heaven. All of the therapy I
had to take since 9/11 did not restore my life until you all gave your love.
restored, God Bless You All.”
From a family whose faith has been
Members of the LCIF 9/11 Central Steering Committee 2001-2006
Multiple District 14
Multiple District 22
PID Robert Miller
PIP Clement Kusiak PDG Robert Muchow PCC Deborah Thompson PID Darley Travers
Multiple District 16 PID Stanley Grossman PDG Elsbeth Moore PID Chuck Wiemer
Multiple District 23 PCC Krish Nanavatny PID Scott Storms
Multiple District 20 PID Robert Klein, Chair PID John Rabideau PIP Robert J. Uplinger PCC John Wargo
Multiple District 24 PCC Glenn Ryburn PID Roy Wilson
Multiple District 33 PID Charles Kostro
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