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  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 8, 2002
PR-029-02
www.nyc.gov


MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG AND SAFE HORIZON CEO GORDON J. CAMPBELL ANNOUNCE FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTER MOVE


Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Safe Horizon CEO Gordon J. Campbell today announced that the Family Assistance Center (FAC) will be moving this weekend to 575 Lexington Avenue at 51st Street on the 11th Floor of offices belonging to Bear Stearns. The space was donated by Bear Stearns for the purpose of providing ongoing services to families who lost loved ones in the World Trade Center disaster. The move will consolidate services currently being provided at both 51 Chambers Street and 575 Lexington at one location in midtown.

"Over time we have seen a significant decrease in the number of families seeking assistance at the Family Assistance Center and a consistently high volume of displaced workers and residents who are applying for disaster relief assistance through the Disaster Assistance Service Center," Mayor Bloomberg said. "This move will allow several hundred more people who are seeking disaster relief to be serviced each day and will give World Trade Center families one location to go to when seeking needed services."

Currently, FAC provides services to approximately 15-20 families each day, down from over 30 a day a few of months ago. At the same time, the Disaster Assistance Service Center (DASC) services about 400 people a day at the 51 Chambers Street location and 700 a day at the 141 Worth Street location. This move will allow DASC to assist several hundred additional individuals each day. While FAC will be moving uptown, DASC will remain fully operational at 51 Chambers Street and 141 Worth Street in lower Manhattan.

"With the ongoing support of Mayor Bloomberg, Safe Horizon and the other organizations of the 9/11 United Services Group will continue to be in one central location providing support to the families who lost loved ones in the September 11th attack," said Gordon Campbell. "Though the location of the Family Assistance Center is changing, its purpose and our commitment remain the same. Safe Horizon is grateful to Bear Stearns for its generosity in allowing us to use its offices to maintain the important partnership between the City and the nonprofit community."

"Bear Stearns is proud to support the efforts of Mayor Bloomberg to meet the ongoing needs of our City's 9/11 victims," said James E. Cayne, the Chairman and CEO of Bear Stearns, the 78 year-old New York City-based financial institution. "Our donation of modern space, office equipment, and technical support is intended to help the Family Assistance Center best serve those whose lives have been touched by this tragedy."

The primary organizations that will be located at the 575 Lexington Avenue location include Safe Horizon and the other organizations of the 9/11 United Services Group. Each will have a constant presence at the new facility and will provide services including bereavement groups, one-on-one counseling, financial planning, emergency services and legal assistance, as well as contact information for a variety of organizations.

FAC's new hours of operation starting on Tuesday, February 12th will be Tuesday and Thursday 12 p.m. - 8 p.m., Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., and closed on Sundays and Mondays. To make an appointment, families should call (212) 350-4000. For the first week after the move (February 12th through 15th), WTC families that come to 51 Chambers Street will be escorted by van service to the midtown location.

DASC hours at 51 Chambers remain Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., and closed Sundays. Anyone seeking disaster relief assistance through DASC must first go to 141 Worth Street, Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. to make an appointment.

For information about FAC and DASC seven days a week, individuals can call the toll-free hotline at (866) 689-HELP (4357). For more information about the move, contact Becky Michaels at Safe Horizon at (212) 577-7351, and Bud Perrone at Rubenstein Associates, Inc. at (212) 843-8068 for Bear Stearns.


www.nyc.gov

Contact: Edward Skyler / Jennifer Falk
(212) 788-2958