The Children’s Aid Society Offers Emergency Services to All Children & Families Touched by Crisis

September 24, 2001

Food, Clothing, Child Care And More Available To Those In Need

NEW YORK, September 24, 2001 - The Children's Aid Society (CAS) has instituted a number of special efforts to aid families and individuals affected by the tragic events at the World Trade Center.

Thanks to the support of The New York Times Neediest Cases 9/11 appeal and donations to CAS from hundreds of individuals and corporations, CAS has established special emergency support funds for any family affected by the World Trade Center tragedy. Anyone who needs assistance may contact CAS at 212-358-8930 to receive help with:

1. Food certificates
2. Clothing
3. Furniture
4. Housing assistance
5. Utility advice
6. Repairs to damage related to crisis
7. Child care
8. Legal information and referral
9. Medical assistance (including prescriptions, inhalers, face masks, etc.)
10. Referrals for counseling services
11. Other assistance as requested

Beyond distributing emergency funds and providing the above services, CAS is working through its nine public community schools and through its neighborhood centers in Manhattan, the Bronx, Westchester and Staten Island to provide ongoing mental health counseling to children and parents, trainings for teachers and other school administrators on coping with student concerns and asthma medications for those affected by smoke and particles in the air.

Many of the children we serve are already living in fragile environments. For these youngsters -- some of whom are homeless, coping with physical or verbal abuse, in foster homes or living at the edge of poverty -- we are keeping our doors open and remain a place of assistance, safety, normalcy and comfort in this time of great need.

The Children's Aid Society was founded in 1853. It is one of the nation's oldest and largest non-sectarian agencies, serving over 120,000 of New York's neediest children and their families with a network of services that include community schools, neighborhood centers, camps, adoption and foster care services, teen pregnancy prevention, education, health and recreation.