What has enabled us to heal at the Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service has been our participation in helping to rebuild the lives of individuals and families throughout our city. Immediately after September 11, we were certain that we wanted to serve our community in ways consistent with our core mission of nurturing, protecting and strengthening the lives of children, families and adults with disabilities.

With utmost urgency, we mobilized staff and volunteers, creating plans for helping the hundreds, and, eventually, thousands of people who sought assistance. Without a precedent to follow, we guided our people as they compassionately and with creativity and expertise selflessly worked long days and weeks to meet the demand. Together, we used our heritage to enable those in need to tap their strength and determination, their will to survive and succeed, and their right to live with dignity and respect.

There was never any question as to whether this was our work. It simply had to be done.

Our long partnership with The New York Times (since the inception of its Neediest Cases Fund in the 1920's) linked us to its rapidly formed
9/11 Neediest Fund, which provided us with $5.5 million in relief funds. Together with generous funding from new supporters such as the McCormick Tribune Foundation Disaster Relief Fund, The Stroock Spirit of New York Fund, and numerous grants from other corporations, foundations and individuals, to date the Bureau has received more than $7 million to provide direct cash assistance and other needed services to victims and their families.

More than $1 million of these funds, including a very generous grant from the Robin Hood Relief Fund and a second generous donation from McCormick Tribune, will enable us to keep our Community Resource Center at work through the end of the year.

The value of forging new partnerships and building on longstanding ones has never been clearer. Rebuilding the fabric of society requires many weavers: business leaders, civic organizations, religious leaders and charitable organizations. We cherish this opportunity to work together to make the world a better place — not just for today and tomorrow, but for generations to come.

Many, many people have touched our lives very deeply during these months. Again and again, they demonstrate what we have known and observed many thousands of times so often during our 135 years: that people, no matter how challenged, show Herculean courage and hope in the face of all kinds of crises. Where there seems to be only darkness and despair, hope appears.

Thousands more this year will look to the Bureau as they search to find their way and we will support them while nurturing their independence and potential, as we always do. As many persons as there will be, there will be at least that many reasons to celebrate the strength of the human spirit.