UNITED we stand: One can see the phrase everywhere, often accompanied by an American flag. Walking through Fashion Square Mall, it is put up in shopkeepers' windows; driving down Route 29, it is in the announcement boards of churches and hotels, usually reserved for messages about prayer service times or vacancies. A few days ago, the phrase was even put on a postage stamp. To say that it is "heartwarming" may sound cheesy, but it is heartwarming, precisely because it is not an empty sentiment.
Americans have accompanied shows of patriotism and unity with charitable deeds. Americans across the country have been responding to victims of the terrorist attacks with an outpouring of generosity to express sympathy and solidarity. The generosity to victims and their families is wonderful. However, other people in need should not be left behind. That is what is happening now as organizations and individuals devote all their charitable efforts to disaster relief at the expense of other worthy causes.
It may not be surprising to hear that more than $757 million in private charity has been raised since the World Trade Center attacks, according to the latest numbers from the Chronicle of Philanthropy. It's an amazing figure --the biggest sum of money collected for a relief effort in history.
There are more than 100 funds for Sept. 11 victims, and ways to donate to them can be found everywhere. Since the attacks, nearly every Web site imaginable -- ranging from the online edition of The New York Times to your everyday Backstreet Boys fan Web site -- has replaced their banner ads with links to information on how to donate to Sept. 11 funds. A few weeks after the attacks, an enormous array of celebrities hosted an unprecedented telethon effort to raise money for victims. Some funds and events that had been planned to benefit other charities were diverted to help Sept. 11 efforts instead.
Though the generosity is moving, it's that "instead" that's the problem. Because people are giving so much to one worthy cause, other worthy causes are getting little help. Charities are entering what is usually their best gift donation season -- the holidays -- with apprehension. They are faced with empty purses and an increasing number of canceled benefits and events.
Time magazine reported on the situation of an Orlando, Florida chapter of the Salvation Army. A mail solicitation they sent out at this time last year yielded $30,000. The magazine reported, "As of last week, a similarly timed mailing had netted only $1,000" ("Disaster Relief Eclipses Other Charities," Oct. 6). Increasingly, the building has had to close early because there isn't enough food or supplies to distribute to the needy.
On Sept. 10, a charity called Room to Grow that aids children living in poverty in New York City was told that they would receive $100,000 from a major corporation. After the attacks, the company decided to give the money to disaster relief instead.
It is essential that aid is given to people whose lives were shattered by the attacks. However, in the face of the nation's big problem, it should not be forgotten that all the other problems -- the ones that were being grappled with before the attacks -- still exist, and should receive aid as well.
To ensure that other organizations continue to get aid, people planning to donate money should try to divide their charity between Sept. 11 funds and other causes. One suggestion from the American Institute of Philanthropy is to make a contribution in honor of the victims to charities that are not directly involved in helping the disaster relief effort.
Efforts should also be made to mete out aid to people who may not have been touched as directly as people who have lost loved ones but are still affected by the attacks. Hundreds of people are out of work because of the attacks, including store owners in the area surrounding the World Trade Center, workers at Reagan National Airport, which was shut down for weeks after the attacks, and countless others.
Steps have been made in this direction: The Salvation Army has begun to provide Reagan National with emergency financial assistance. In addition, the Associated Black Charities, National Black United Fund and the 21st Century Foundation are working to create a national fund to assist workers who were laid off or have seen their wages reduced because of the attacks.
It is important to help those directly affected by the Sept. 11 attacks, but it is also crucial that other causes not be forgotten. When America stands united, it should take care not to leave anyone behind.
(Laura Sahramaa is a Cavalier Daily associate editor. She can be reached at lsahramaa@cavalierdaily.com.)
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