Re: how to respond to today's events?

Dear all:

I also left service-learning, about a year ago, for the nonprofit sector, but I 
have remained on this listserv to stay informed (it's hard to leave s-l 
completely!).  It warms my heart to hear s-l folks taking on the challenge of 
what to do in the wake of this tragedy.

I am writing to you today from mid-town New York City (38th and 8th), where 
believe it or not life is continuing with a "business as usual" approach as per 
the mayor's advice to keep the economy moving as much as possible.  It is 
difficult to come to grips with the devastation in the downtown area when we 
see the "normalcy" of mid-and up-town.

I don't know if it will help to have a New Yorker's perspective on what the 
city's needs are, but here is what I have learned from listening to relief 
workers who have been searching the ruins for people since Tuesday:

**Financial donations are most important at this time, and this can be done 
through the Red Cross or other funds that have been set up and mentioned by 
others;

**While blood is not immediately needed due to the vast numbers of individuals 
who donated early on in this tragedy, if the rescue workers are successful in 
finding any people who are still living among the ruins, additional blood will 
be needed over the weekend and into the first of the week. So if you have not 
donated yet, go ahead and follow through with your good intentions and do so.

**The rescue workers themselves have specific needs, and I have heard repeated 
requests for: 

--heavy dry socks, because the workers are still putting out fires and once 
their workboots are wet, their feet quickly become raw and unbearably sore
--Dr. Scholl's cushion inserts for shoes, because they are on their feet 
searching for hours on end
--extra large sweatsuits so that they can change out of their work clothes for 
an hour or two to catch some sleep
--batteries, flashlights, glow sticks, etc for obvious reasons
--food and water for the rescue workers, also for obvious reasons.


In addition to raising funds, you might try to encourage stores who carry the 
above items, esp. if they are close to the city, to donate these items in bulk. 
 If they coordinate with the Red Cross, the RD can see that they get into the 
city to relief stations where they are needed.

Something that many are not aware of is that many nonprofit organizations who 
provide food regularly to hungry New Yorkers have offices within blocks of the 
WTC and are now closed due to the tragedy.  In addition, just prior to this 
tragedy, the state legislature had cut funding to emergency food programs by 
$14 million in the state budget.  This means that low-income New Yorkers, even 
if they are nowhere near the WTC, will be affected as well.  Donations for food 
to go to those emergency food programs can be made through Second Harvest.

I won't comment on the other pieces of discussion because of my own conflicting 
feelings in light of this, other than to say that we need to do all we can to 
separate those who committed this act from those Arab Americans living in the 
US who condemn the attacks just as we all do.  We do no one any good if we 
begin to act just as did those who have hurt us.

If you are spiritual, please keep us in your various prayers as we dig 
ourselves out of the ruins, come to grips with what has happened, and try to 
move on with our lives.

Peace,

Debra


Debra Abston Greenwood, MSW
Executive Director
Hunger Action Network of New York State
518-434-7371 (ALBANY)
212-741-8192 (NEW YORK CITY)