A COMMUNITY S RESPONSE THE BOMBING OF THE ALFRED P. MURRAH FEDERAL BUILDING: 10 YEARS LATER

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1 A COMMUNITY S RESPONSE THE BOMBING OF THE ALFRED P. MURRAH FEDERAL BUILDING: 10 YEARS LATER

2 A COMMUNITY S RESPONSE THE BOMBING OF THE ALFRED P. MURRAH FEDERAL BUILDING: 10 YEARS LATER It was the commuity of humaity that respoded to the bombig of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Buildig i dowtow Oklahoma City o April 19, Stragers comig together with the commo iterest of helpig others. It started with the brave efforts of the first respoders ad the icredible outpourig of support from across the coutry. Next it was the respose of voluteers who gave of their time, expertise ad, at times, a shoulder. Soo public officials joied with oprofit agecies to step forward ad face a challege ulike aythig the coutry had ever experieced. While a decade has passed sice that tragic day whe 168 lives were take ad hudreds more impacted, the eeds of may survivors still exist ad will for may years. That is why 10 years later the Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio ad the America Red Cross of Cetral Oklahoma cotiue to assist with ogoig medical ad livig expeses ad the educatioal eeds of the childre. Here for the commuity, respodig to eeds.

3 April 19, 1995 is a date egraved i the mids ad hearts of may. I oe istace o that bright sprig morig, thousads of lives ad our commuity were altered forever. The bombig of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Buildig resulted i a expasio of the traditioal services of both the Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio ad the America Red Cross of Cetral Oklahoma. Just as there was o precedece for this type of tragedy, there was o way to kow how log the recovery would be for those impacted or what type of services would be required. No oe i our commuity was familiar with this type of emergecy. People did t eed just shelter; they eeded help i rebuildig their lives. I the immediate aftermath of the bombig, o oe was prepared for the tremedous social ad psychological impact the tragedy would ultimately have o the families of victims, survivors, respoders ad the commuity as a whole. No oe expected that services would still be eeded 10 years later. The outpourig of fiacial support from aroud the coutry was early overwhelmig. Through a tremedous obligatio to do the right thig, public officials, oprofit agecies ad coutless voluteers worked together to create a fair ad effective model of coordiatio. Iitially, the Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio ad the America Red Cross of Cetral Oklahoma provided leadership ad coordiatio amog the early 50 oprofit orgaizatios who respoded to the emergecy. Over the past 10 years, our two orgaizatios have remaied as the primary resources to meet the ogoig eeds. We work i coordiatio with oe aother to esure that ay of those impacted who eed assistace whether it s medical, livig support or educatioal do ot go uaided. This publicatio provides a overview of the icredible collaborative spirit that eabled our orgaizatios ad others to meet the eeds of may. Motivated by a sese of compassio ad the recogitio of huma eed, people reacted ad umerous orgaizatios stepped forward to help. The evets of April 19, 1995 created a commuity respose ulike aythig we had witessed. Ad this respose cotiues through the work of the Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio ad the America Red Cross of Cetral Oklahoma. NANCY B. ANTHONY Executive Director Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio DEBBY HAMPTON Executive Director America Red Cross of Cetral Oklahoma A COMMUNITY S RESPONSE THE BOMBING OF THE ALFRED P. MURRAH FEDERAL BUILDING: 10 YEARS LATER 1

4 FIRST RESPONDER UPDATE BENTON PERRY Beto Perry has ecoutered a lot of chages sice April 19, Te years ago, Beto worked for the State of Oklahoma i the Office of the Ispector Geeral Techical Ivestigatio Uit as a aget ad was a emergecy respoder to the bombig of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Buildig, workig udergroud i the recovery efforts. Beto s persoal life took a dowward tur durig the first five years followig the tragedy; there were itese feeligs of failure he was uable to shake from his mid. I 2000 he bega the healig process, ad thaks the America Red Cross for helpig him through that process. I December of 2004, Beto graduated Maga Cum Laude with a Bachelor s of Sciece i Educatio ad is eager to combie his ew degree with his previous experiece. April 19, 1995 The Iitial Reactio Ad Respose Followig the tragedy that occurred at 9:02 a.m. o April 19, 1995, we were a chaged commuity ad coutry. It was ot a atural disaster or a accidet. It was a deliberate act of hate. As people aroud the coutry watched the televised reports of the emergecy recovery ad relief efforts, they reached out to help. Withi days of the bombig, more tha 50 local oprofit orgaizatios i Oklahoma City established charitable fuds with the doatios they received. Most of these oprofit agecies had o experiece i dealig with relief fuds ad it soo became apparet that their resposibility was goig to exted beyod disbursig moey but to also esure that eeds were met. Our local charities had o model for disaster relief of this magitude, says Nacy B. Athoy, executive director, Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio. Compared to atural disasters such as toradoes, which we are more use to dealig with i our state, the bombig i Oklahoma City left much more persoal tragedy ad much less persoal property loss ad impairmet of livig coditios. It became apparet early o that if these cotributios were goig to be put toward the efforts of the doors, it was goig to require a icredible level of cooperatio amog these agecies as well as the offices of elected officials, Athoy adds. Immediately after the bombig, the America Red Cross Disaster Relief Actio Team worked with other emergecy agecies o the relief ad recovery efforts by providig workers, equipmet, rescue ad first-aid assistace as well as a shelter at a dowtow church. I additio the staff worked closely with the families of the deceased. We all foud ourselves dealig with a tragedy that was ulike ay we d dealt with before, says Debby Hampto, executive director of the America Red Cross Cetral Oklahoma. It was importat that everyoe ivolved i the log term recovery efforts work together to esure o oe fell through the cracks. It was t log after the bombig that differet orgaizatios bega workig together ad cooperative efforts were put ito place. Withi the first moths a umber of key activities took place that would establish a process that cotiues today. Goveror Calls Meetig Withi days of the bombig, Gov. Frak Keatig called a meetig amog all of the agecies receivig doatios to discuss the coordiatio of these resources. The Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio voluteered to work with the Uited Way ad other agecies i puttig together a system that would coordiate service ad esure that the appropriate referrals were made. Database Created Next, the Uited Way agreed to establish a computer etwork database to track iformatio o those who would eed assistace. Withi 15 days of the bombig, the computer database was operatioal, providig a commo source of iformatio for federal ad state offices as well as oprofit agecies. A massive survey was coducted to esure that all survivors ad victims families were icluded i the database ad that all iformatio was correct. The database would prove to be a vital lik i esurig that services were t duplicated ad that o oe who eeded assistace was left out. Case Maagers Each day brought hudreds of telephoe calls to the umerous oprofit orgaizatios icludig the Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio; may seekig assistace of some type. Those orgaizatios with professioal case maagers o staff worked to coordiate assistace ad share iformatio ad idetify the appropriate resources to address the eeds. The Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio cotracted with the Commuity Couselig Ceter so that staff members could refer a caller to 2 A COMMUNITY S RESPONSE THE BOMBING OF THE ALFRED P. MURRAH FEDERAL BUILDING: 10 YEARS LATER

5 SURVIVOR UPDATE NANCY INGRAM Nacy Igram was coductig persoal busiess at the Federal Credit Uio i the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Buildig whe the explosio occurred. She was trapped beeath heavy falle debris, requirig rescue teams to use special equipmet to lift the debris ad remove her. She was hospitalized for two moths with extesive damage to the lower half of her body ad cotiues to live daily with the physical damage ad pai caused by the explosio. Whatever happeed to me is sad, but so may other people have it worse, says Nacy who ow works part-time as a sales clerk. I do t thik you ever get over it; you lear to deal with it. oe of three case maagers who would the idetify the eeds, check the database to see what fuds were available ad to verify if the cliet had bee helped elsewhere. I additio, each cliet was assiged oe case maager so they did ot have to cope with the varyig orgaizatios o their ow. It was very importat for every family where there was a death or a critical ijury to have oe case maager who would stay with them, says Athoy. I believe this is oe of the most importat early services provided by the commuity. Resource Coordiatig Committee Commuicatio amog all of the agecies ivolved was vital. As a result, the Resource Coordiatig Committee was created ad became a opportuity for all fudig agecies to assist with cases preseted by the case maagers. For five years followig the bombig, the committee met weekly the every other week to determie the best source of assistace for each case. Fuds Created At Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio Both the Oklahoma City Mayor s office as well as the Oklahoma Goveror s office were iudated with cotributios. For example, Mayor Ro Norick s office received more tha 5,000 doatios i less tha a moth. As a result, the Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio established the Mayor s Disaster Relief Fud to receive ad admiister these cotributios. A umber of doors were makig cotributios to assist with the log term educatioal eeds of victims childre. As a result, The Resource Coordiatig Committee was comprised of people represetig the various orgaizatios who executed the private charity system i the commuity, says Athoy. It was the best possible example of commuity ivolvemet. the Resource Coordiatig Committee recommeded the establishmet of the Survivors Educatio Fud ad the Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio assumed resposibility for the fud because of its experiece i admiisterig scholarships. Withi a year of the bombig, Gov. Frak Keatig cotributed early $5 millio from the Goveror s Victims ad Families Fud to the Survivors Educatio Fud. Both fuds, i additio to others created, are admiistered through the Disaster Relief Fud at the Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio. Thaks to the geerosity of so may throughout the coutry, the Disaster Relief Fud is still able to respod to the eeds of the victims families, survivors ad first respoders. A COMMUNITY S RESPONSE THE BOMBING OF THE ALFRED P. MURRAH FEDERAL BUILDING: 10 YEARS LATER 3

6 SURVIVOR UPDATE EARNESTINE LOONEY Earestie Looey worked at the Oklahoma Couty Court Clerk s office, but her joy i life stemmed from her gradchildre. Oe of them died whe the bombig destroyed the America s Kids Day Care. Dealig with the grief ad loss of Domiique has bee a cotiual struggle. Uable to retur to full-time employmet, Mrs. Looey evetually applied for disability. Although appreciative of the assistace from the America Red Cross ad other disaster resources, she feels more cofidet ad i cotrol as she maages the modest but reliable disability icome she receives. Te years after the bombig, Mrs. Looey kows whe to ask for help, callig her couselor if other tragic evets trigger memories of her loss. The Resource Coordiatig Committee A Commuity Jois Together To Meet The Needs Of May Cosiderig the very magitude of the April 19, 1995 bombig ad the atio s respose, the opportuity for chaos existed. Istead, a commuity joied together. To build upo the cooperative spirit that existed amog service providers, oprofit orgaizatios ad public officials, a coordiatig effort was iitiated by the Uited Way of Cetral Oklahoma, the Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio, the office of Gov. Frak Keatig ad major service providers such as the America Red Cross, the Salvatio Army, several iterfaith groups ad civic orgaizatios. The formatio of the Resource Coordiatig Committee provided a efficiet process for all of the parties ivolved to respod to the eeds of survivors. I the summer of 1995, the committee comprised of more tha 50 orgaizatios bega to meet oce a week for the first three years the bi-weekly for two additioal years. The Resource Coordiatig Committee had three goals: To meet the eeds of the primary survivor group ad to provide resources that would serve log term cocers. To utilize the resources available as efficietly as possible, avoid duplicatio ad waste, ad miimize obstacles for assistace to be provided. To esure that the spirit of cooperatio that had become the hallmark of the commuity s respose cotiue to characterize the committee s stewardship of the geerous gifts. Of the orgaizatios participatig o the committee, several had professioal case maagers o staff at the time of the bombig. These case maagers would prove to be possibly the most importat igrediet to the success of the committee s respose to survivors eeds. We would meet oce a week to make sure everybody was up to speed o the cases we were presetig to the committee, says Rosea Rucker, oe of the origial case maagers who bega workig with survivors ad victims families immediately followig the bombig. These meetigs amog the case maagers really helped the committee to focus o how to provide for specific eeds. Orgaizatios providig case maagers icluded the Commuity Couselig Ceter, the America Red Cross, Salvatio Army, Catholic Charities, Feed the Childre, Uited Methodist Church, Presbyteria Church ad Traveler s Aid. I all, 12 case maagers worked directly with those survivors with eeds. Because of the case maagers, the committee kew that aythig that came before it was a valid case ad that all of the orgaizatios had a opportuity to assist with the cases preseted. The ope commuicatio ad cooperatio amog these groups also helped to reduce the possibility of fraud, says Nacy B. Athoy, executive director, Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio. This really was the private charity system at its best. Aother importat elemet of the case maagemet was that each survivor who requested assistace was assiged a case maager who, from that poit forward, would serve as a poit of cotact ad liaiso for resources. It was very importat for every family where there was a death or a critical ijury to have a case maager who would stay with them, whether the orgaizatio the case maager worked for actually provided the assistace or ot, it was a perso they kew they could call, Athoy says. Resource Coordiatig Committee members did t wat survivors or victims families to have to jump from oe orgaizatio to the ext. Istead, with a assiged case maager, they could make just oe call. Every moth durig the first three years followig the bombig, the Commuity Couselig Ceter case maagers called each family affected by the bombig. It was our way of esurig o oe fell through the cracks, Rucker says. For some, the emotioal ad metal strai of the evet did t hit them util a year or so later so it was really importat that we stayed i touch with them ad provided assistace as we could. Although the Resource Coordiatig Committee stopped meetig i 2000, the case maagemet work cotiues. Te years later, Rucker ad Sue Bullard of the America Red Cross oversee approximately 100 active cases. Their role is a importat service for those who have chroic physical ad emotioal coditios as a result of the bombig. They represet the ogoig commuity respose. 4 A COMMUNITY S RESPONSE THE BOMBING OF THE ALFRED P. MURRAH FEDERAL BUILDING: 10 YEARS LATER

7 Database Serves As Importat Resource I Providig Assistace The Commuity Network Database was bor out of the eed for a process that would streamlie the commuity s ability to respod. Thaks to a geerous doatio of computers, software ad the coutless hours spet by voluteers eterig iformatio, early 50 orgaizatios ad govermet offices i cetral Oklahoma could access, coordiate ad documet cliet eeds ad services while umerous other orgaizatios ot directly ivolved i the database provided additioal resources ad voluteers to assist i the iitial recovery efforts. For early five years, the database served as a cetral poit of iformatio for ay orgaizatio with the resources to assist. The Commuity Network Database serves as a model of collaboratio for a commuity faced with a far reachig tragedy. Commuity Network Database Participats Ad Resource Coordiatig Committee Members Aid Associatio for Lutheras All Souls Episcopal Church America Legio America Red Cross of Cetral Oklahoma Baptist Geeral Covetio Catholic Charities Churches of Christ Victims Relief Fud City of Oklahoma City Commuity Couselig Ceter Cocered Clergy for Spiritual Reewal Cosumer Coordiatio Coucil Feed the Childre Federal Employees Educatio Assistace Fud First Uitaria Church Goodwill Idustries Heritage Presbyteria Church Hospitals Helpig the Heartlad I His Name Miistries Idia Natios Presbyteria Idividual & Family Grat Program (Oklahoma Departmet of Huma Services) Iterfaith Disaster Recovery Juior League of Oklahoma City Kiwais Special Activity Fud Lios Iteratioal District 3-H Love Lik Miistries Mayflower Church Meoite Voluteer Service Metro Church Nazaree Disaster Relief Office of the Goveror of Oklahoma Office of the Mayor of Oklahoma City Oklahoma Associatio of Electric Cooperatives Greater Oklahoma City Chamber Emergecy Busiess Assistace Ceter Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio Oklahoma Couty Private Idustry Coucil Project Phoeix Oklahoma Departmet of Civil Emergecy Maagemet Oklahoma District Attoreys Coucil Victims Services Oklahoma Federal Executive Board Our Lord s Commuity Church Presbyteria Hospital Private Idustry Coucil of Cetral Oklahoma Project Heartlad (Oklahoma Departmet of Metal Health) Rotary Foudatio Disaster Relief Fud Salvatio Army Travelers Aid Uited Way of Metro Oklahoma City Uited Way of Norma Uited Methodist Coferece Disaster Relief Project Uity Church U.S. Attorey s Office Laws Ad Regulatios Impacted Charitable Distributios The outpourig of support to local oprofit orgaizatios followig April 19, 1995 was icredible. May of these agecies ad survivors were ot familiar with federal laws ad Iteral Reveue Service regulatios regardig distributio of charitable fuds. To assist these agecies, the Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio distributed the followig guidelies: Criteria must be developed to provide a objective process by which to provide assistace. Grats of assistace had to be made for specific eeds related to the tragedy. The fuds could help people who had bee distressed by the bombig eve if they were ot poor but were i eed of assistace such as shelter or couselig. Charitable fuds could ot accept cotributios that were earmarked for specific idividuals or families. The IRS rules stated that fuds had to be distributed based upo eeds related to the tragedy, says Nacy B. Athoy, executive director, Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio. This preveted a arbitrary divisio of fuds. Because there were so may idividuals impacted, i additio to the families of those who were killed, these rules esured that eeds were met; ot that moey was simply haded out. Te years later, we re still able to meet the physical, emotioal, ad educatioal eeds that very much exist today ad will for some time, she adds. A COMMUNITY S RESPONSE THE BOMBING OF THE ALFRED P. MURRAH FEDERAL BUILDING: 10 YEARS LATER 5

8 SURVIVOR UPDATE STAN MAYER Sta Mayer s office i the Joural Record buildig had a almost paoramic view of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Buildig s orth face. Stadig o the third floor o April 19, 1995, the shards of that paoramic view first covered oe side of Sta s body as the blast blew glass orthward, the pelted the other side of Sta s body as the resultig vacuum sucked glass back to the south. Escorted from the buildig by co-workers ad take to St. Athoy s Hospital, the first surgeries were admiistered with Sta i a stadig positio because every ich of his back was pierced by shrapel. A co-worker compared Sta to a porcupie. I the first five years, Sta had more tha 40 surgeries to remove shrapel ad repair laceratios. Te years after the blast, shards of glass cotiue to work to the surface of his ski. While Sta is ow able to work, he must edure physical therapy sessios each week to keep his muscles ad ligamets as flexible as possible. SURVIVOR UPDATE THE DENNYS: REBECCA & BRANDON Rebecca & Brado ejoyed each day at America s Kids Day Care while their parets, Jim ad Claudia Dey, worked. It is difficult to say how much the childre, who were 2 ad 3-year-olds i 1995, remember of the actual bombig, but for may years afterward they would immediately plop o the floor whe a elevator bega its descet. Iitially both parets stayed at home to care for the childre. Brado had suffered a ivasive brai ijury ad eeded costat supervisio. By 2000, Mrs. Dey retured to work while Mr. Dey cotiues the 24/7 o-call schedule, ever vigilat for sigs i case Brado s brai ijury requires a chage i medicatio or a rush to the emergecy room. He also trasports the childre to the myriad medical appoitmets ad to school. Te years after the bombig, the couple is appreciative for the assistace made possible by charitable cotributios to local agecies that cotiue to help them care for Rebecca ad Brado. Ad, Rebecca ad Brado are still fu-lovig childre who do t like elevator rides. Rosea Rucker Ad Sue Bullard: There From The Begiig Twelve professioal case maagers were i daily cotact with survivors i the moths immediately followig the bombig. Their work with survivors played a vital role i the iitial assistace process. Today the ogoig maagemet of approximately 100 active cases is hadled by Rosea Rucker ad Sue Bullard. Both Rucker ad Bullard were part of the origial group of case maagers. Rucker, who is with the Uiversity of Oklahoma Child Study Ceter offices, works with survivors who receive assistace through the Disaster Relief Fud at the Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio. Bullard, a case maager with the America Red Cross of Cetral Oklahoma, cotiues to work with people affected by the bombig through the Red Cross Bombig Recovery Project. Both wome agree that either oe expected to still be servig as case maagers 10 years after the tragedy. I was told (my role) would last oe year, Rucker says. We really did t kow what to expect. But I soo came to realize how importat it was to the families that they have oe perso to cotact o a cosistet basis. It offers them a small piece of stability I was also hired for oe year, says Sue Bullard, assistat director of case maagemet for the America Red Cross of Cetral Oklahoma. I thik the thig that has struck me the most is the ripple effect the Oklahoma City bombig has had o people ad the fact that 10 years later, there are still so may eeds i existece. Rucker says she has bee able to cotiue as a case maager because she ad the survivors she works with have a clear uderstadig of her role. I ve always strived to be fair-mided ad commuicate what I ca ad ca t do, she says. For may of the families, they had a very difficult time trustig ad believig i ot oly themselves but others. We ve bee able to overcome those feeligs by beig cosistet ad ow they kow they ca call me. I feel really good about beig a part of their lives for the past 10 years. Bullard agrees. It really has bee a remarkable positio to be i, she adds. I feel the America Red Cross has doe a tremedous job i keepig the services fair ad accoutable. 6 A COMMUNITY S RESPONSE THE BOMBING OF THE ALFRED P. MURRAH FEDERAL BUILDING: 10 YEARS LATER

9 SURVIVOR UPDATE SARA WILLIAMS SWEET Sara Williams led a almost idyllic life. A excellet studet at Oklahoma State Uiversity, Sara lived i the sorority house where she was presidet of the chapter. The bombig of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Buildig itruded ito Sara s world as it took the life of her father, Stephe Williams, a supervisor for the Social Security Admiistratio. Sara s progress sice the bombig has bee as trascedet as it was idyllic before. Usig the three scholarship fuds for survivig depedet childre (Heartlad, FEEA ad Survivors Educatio Fuds) to ehace her family s emotioal stregth ad her persoal faith, Sara persisted through her udergraduate studies at OSU to ear a degree. Te years after the bombig fids Sara is married, the mother of two, ad a regular participat i the aual Oklahoma City Memorial Maratho evet. Providig Educatioal Support For Survivig Childre The stories of the childre who lost oe or both parets i the April 19, 1995 bombig touched the hearts of may doors aroud the coutry who set i cotributios to support the future educatio of these childre. The respose was so great that withi weeks, the Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio established the Survivors Educatio Fud for those childre. The ratioale behid the fud was that those more tha 200 childre who were still ecoomically depedet upo their parets had ot oly lost fiacial stability but also a emotioal support system that would help them cotiue their educatio followig high school. It was a logical move for the Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio to assume resposibility for the fud because of its log term edowmet orietatio ad its experiece i admiisterig a idepedet scholarship program. Cotributios to the Survivors Educatio Fud came from idividuals, civic orgaizatios, schools corporatios ad foudatios throughout the Uited States. Our staff talked to literally hudreds of doors who emphasized their iterest i addressig the childre s educatioal eeds i a effective ad meaigful way, says Nacy B. Athoy, executive director, Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio. The sigle largest gift to the fud came whe the Gov. Frak Keatig committed early $5 millio from the Goveror s Victims ad Families Relief Fud to the Survivors Educatio Fud. This commitmet chaged the scope of the Survivors Educatio Fud from a scholarship fud to a log term educatioal program that will cotiue to provide support util 2017, whe the yougest eligible child completes their educatio. Aa-Faye Rose joied the Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio staff seve moths after the bombig to coordiate the educatioal fudig as well as idetify other o-educatioal eeds the studets might have. We wat to esure that the studets are ot oly able to eter higher educatio but that they have the tools ecessary to succeed whether its attedig a summer camp or receivig couselig services, Rose says. I additio to the Survivors Educatio Fud, two additioal scholarship programs were established to help this same group of childre. These two programs are the Heartlad Scholarship Program created by the Oklahoma State Regets for Higher Educatio ad the Federal Employee Educatio ad Assistace Fud out of Littleto, Colorado. The coordiated support of all three scholarship fuds esures that each eligible child who has the desire ad ability to further their educatio prior to the age of 25 is able to atted the equivalet of a four-year state istitutio whether that is at a uiversity, commuity college or techical school. I order to expedite the process for the studets, the Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio coordiates the admiistratio of all three fuds ad serves as the poit of cotact for these studets. We are workig hard to esure that the educatioal opportuity so geerously provided by so may Americas to these childre will be utilized effectively ad will help each oe reach his or her maximum potetial, Rose says. 10-Year Update O Scholarship Programs 213 studets eligible to participate i oe or more of the three programs 135 studets have atteded oe or more semesters of college or techical traiig 5 studets eared associate s degrees or techical certificatio 60 studets have eared a bachelor s degree 53 childre are still of grade school or high school age ad have yet to reach age of eligibility (18). A COMMUNITY S RESPONSE THE BOMBING OF THE ALFRED P. MURRAH FEDERAL BUILDING: 10 YEARS LATER 7

10 Respodig To September 11 While umerous service providers ad oprofit orgaizatios respoded to the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, both the America Red Cross of Cetral Oklahoma ad the Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio were able to offer a uique perspective based upo their ow experieces followig the April 19, 1995 bombig of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Buildig. America Red Cross Post September 11, the America Red Cross of Cetral Oklahoma took a active role i both New York City ad Washigto, D.C. The staff took part i the respose ad recovery efforts ad i assistig various agecies with log term case maagemet issues. Thirtee idividuals who had lost loved oes i the Murrah Buildig bombig assumed a peer support role i New York by providig comfort to those who had lost loved oes i the World Trade Ceter attacks. The Oklahoma City family members worked through the Family Support Ceter ad, as part of the grievig process, traveled to Groud Zero with those who had lost loved oes o September 11. I additio, Oklahoma City bombig family members became a source of stregth to the Greater New York Chapter of the America Red Cross. Family members were able to share a perspective with the New York staff i a way that had ot bee possible followig the bombig of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Buildig i This stregtheed the burgeoig collaboratio betwee the America Red Cross ad the Natioal Memorial Istitute for the Prevetio of Terrorism to form a Peer Support Group that would act to brig comfort to future geeratios of those affected by terrorist attacks like those that occurred o April 19, 1995 ad September 11, The Peer Support Group will cosist of family members ad survivors of both tragic evets who ca provide uique isight ito assistig others. I have bee amazed at the compassio the Oklahoma City family members, survivors ad rescue workers have show toward those affected by 9/11, says Debby Hampto, executive director of the America Red Cross of Cetral Oklahoma. They have such a bod that hopefully o oe will ever experiece agai. I will always cosider these idividuals my heroes ad truly the atio s heroes. Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio Soo after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio bega aswerig calls from people with oprofit orgaizatios i New York ad Washigto, D.C. who were askig about forms used o April 19, how the database had bee established ad how to provide services. I additio, media iterviews were coducted with early 100 ews agecies i the first six moths followig the attacks. Obviously, the scale of disaster i New York was of a differet order of magitude, says Nacy B. Athoy, executive director, Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio. But the fudametal issue which domiated both Oklahoma City ad New York was dealig with a very large group of idividuals who have lost a loved oe i a very tragic ad highly visible evet. Dealig with the emotios ad eeds of the people is the driver for all activity. By early November of 2001, Athoy was workig with several groups i New York icludig the September 11 th Fud, the Robi Hood Foudatio ad several metal health groups. She would work directly with these groups for over a year. They wated to hear what we had doe, i terms of metal health couselig, ad also what they could expect as far as the survivors ad the families of victims were cocered such as that the first reactio would be ager followed by axiety o what the future held for them, she says. The tragedy of September 11 also had a impact o the survivors ad first respoders from April 19, We experieced a icrease i the umber of idividuals sufferig from emotioal distress because of the terrorist attacks i New York ad Washigto, D.C., Athoy adds. For several, the terrorist attacks triggered emotioal ad metal situatios they had yet to deal with i the six years sice the Murrah Buildig bombig. Luckily, we were able to help these people get the assistace they eeded. 8 A COMMUNITY S RESPONSE THE BOMBING OF THE ALFRED P. MURRAH FEDERAL BUILDING: 10 YEARS LATER

11 SURVIVOR UPDATE SUSAN WALTON O April 19, 1995 Susa Walto visited the Federal Credit Uio to make a deposit. Susa suffered critical ijuries to her legs i the bombig that required multiple surgeries followed by years of physical therapy, the use of a walker the crutches. I additio to the help of her husbad, Susa required the assistace of a home health aid to maage the daily tasks of life. Eve before she could maage idepedetly, Susa bega to work o Suited for Success, a commuity service project that provides busiess clothig to ecoomically disadvataged wome eterig the workforce. Goig to the store, makig agecy cotacts, orgaizig voluteers, speakig to civic groups, all became part of the rehabilitatio process for Susa. Te years after the bombig, while she still experieces pai ad swellig i her legs ad must use a cae to walk, Susa cotiues to give back to the commuity that helped her through the log recovery. 10 YEARS LATER: LOOKING FORWARD Te years followig the bombig of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Buildig, the primary goal remais the same: help people move forward with their lives i the best way possible. Thaks to the icredible geerosity of people across the coutry, our commuity has bee able to work toward that goal by providig a wide variety of assistace. As a result, our commuity leared the power of cooperatio ad collaboratio. By workig together, Oklahoma City s orgaizatios developed a efficiet ad effective meas of providig assistace. Today, our two orgaizatios the Oklahoma City Commuity Foudatio ad the America Red Cross cotiue the commuity s respose by workig to esure that those affected by the tragedy receive the ogoig services, support ad ecouragemet to rebuild their lives.

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