The Aloha United Way conducted emergency meetings in early October 2001 with member agencies and volunteers as a basis for understanding the health and human service impacts of the terrorist attacks and subsequent economic downturn.

The impacts being seen and anticipated at that time clustered into five major areas:

1. Basic Needs (increase in demand for emergency food and shelter)
2. Health (including increased anxiety)
3. Income (including increased needs for financial assistance, job training and placement)
4. Safe, nurturing social environment (including inability to pay for child care, increase in domestic violence)
5. Organizational/system issues (including concerns about expected loss of resources at time of increased demand for services)
6. Civic Vitality (increased desire to help others)

A matrix of raw responses from the first two AUW meetings was distributed. A more complete matrix has been distributed to members of the data, service delivery and service linking teams as one source of information to focus their work. The matrix is too long to post here. If you want a copy, please email Susan Doyle.