The events that rocked the United States on September 11, 2001 had significant and long-term effects across the globe. For this reason, The United Methodist Committee on Relief decided in the first days after the event to prayerfully and purposefully open our response to the global village in which we live.
Time and patience, consultation and experience has allowed UMCOR, annual conferences and other church partners to design a response that will take us into the year 2006. This plan has three main components with a number of implementers. Below you will find the outline of the plan.
At the Spring 2002 Board of Directors meeting, the directors approved the expenditure of $11.4 million for the following programs. Each year, through 2006, the board of directors will approve additional expenditures to continue the recovery efforts.
Local Response
(New York/New Jersey Metropolitan Area)
This part of the plan has three main implementers: the New York Annual Conference, the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference and the United Methodist Committee on Relief.
- Case Management: The journey to recovery can be very complicated. There are some people-- the poor, the illiterate, the frightened-- who cannot complete this journey without assistance. Case Management is the manner in which a person who has knowledge of the "system," its resources, procedures and pitfalls, can walk with and support those struggling to find their way to recovery.
- Counseling: Professional counseling is being made available to those who need assistance with the trauma. In most cases, the individuals are identified and referred by clergy.
- Outreach stations: Outreach stations are to be created where the people are. These will be opened and closed as the need requires. Pastoral care, resource information and other identified services will be available at the stations.
- "Family coping seminars": These seminars are designed to provide a place for families to come together to reflect and develop coping skills for the tragic events of September 11 and other terrorist related events.
- Material resources: This category includes the distribution of material resources to unemployed immigrants and additional food supplies for the St. Paul's and St. Andrew's food bank, which is serving an increasing number of newly unemployed people.
- Local church support: De-briefings were held for clergy in New York, Virginia, and Baltimore-Washington Conferences and assistant pastors were provided for parishes in the crisis zone selected by the bishop of the New York Annual Conference.
- Camp scholarships: These will be given to families suffering from the ripple effect of the disaster
- Disaster response training: This is scheduled for in Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference.
National Response
These programs are being implemented by UMCOR and Church World Service:
- Refugee/immigration assistance: Life has become increasingly difficult for refugees and immigrants in the wake of September 11. Their civil rights are being curtailed, it has become much more difficult for them to move through the immigration system, and those who are undocumented are more afraid than ever to seek the assistance they need. The demand on the Justice for Our Neighbors immigration clinics has increased dramatically and UMCOR will provide funding to support the clinics for the next three years. UMCOR will also support the immigration program of Church World Service
- Children and trauma: To assist people working with children who have suffered trauma, training will be provided for child care and youth workers in annual conferences.
- Honoring Differences: This program will support local initiatives for dialogue and reconciliation activities between Arab Americans and other Americans, Muslims, Christians, and people of other faiths.
International Response
These programs are being implemented by UMCOR, Church World Service, and other Methodist or ecumenical partners:
- Afghanistan relief and development: This program provides relief for Afghan refugees in Pakistan and displaced people within Afghanistan, and support a repatriation project in the Kabul area which will include rebuilding homes, social/community development, health care, and agricultural assistance.
- Muslim-Christian dialogue: This program supports dialogue between Muslims and Christians in countries where interfaith tensions and the potential for conflict are high.
Photo: 1. A young woman lights a memorial candle in Manhattan after the collapse of the World Trade Center. Credit. Diana Barnett, copyright © September 2001, Used by permission. Click on the photo to see a larger version. 2. Afghan boys watch the delivery of shelter kits from UMCOR/Mercy Corps that will be their temporary homes. Credit. David Sadoo/UMCOR, February 2002. Click on the photo to see a larger version.
Local Response
International Response