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| WTC/PENTAGON FUND |
Following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the Federal Employee Education & Assistance
Fund (FEEA) announced the formation of a FEEA World Trade Center/Pentagon Fund to assist
affected civilian federal employees and their families.
Immediate financial assistance was provided on-site at the Pentagon Family Assistance Center
from September 12 – October 10, with additional assistance provided via telephone during and
after that time. FEEA supported families with more than $400,000 for travel expenses, mortgages,
utility bills, funerals, and more.
FEEA ultimately raised more than $5.5 million to assist federal families affected by the 9/11
attacks. As with FEEA's OKC Fund, the decision was made to invest all monies not required for
immediate assistance in order to provide college scholarships to survivors.
The FEEA Pentagon Scholarship Program will provide a full college scholarship to any child who
lost a civilian federal employee parent in the attack on the Pentagon. Children whose parent was
critically injured are also eligible for the program, as are victims’ spouses who were already
attending college on September 11. Spouses wishing to return to college will be considered on a
case-by-case basis. FEEA has registered more than 60 eligible survivors for this program and
expects to provide scholarships until the youngest eligible child has had a chance to complete her
college education. Not yet two when her mother died in the attack on the Pentagon, she is
expected to enter college in 2018.
The Fund has assisted more than 40 family groups, including several families of those critically
injured at the Pentagon who spent many months recovering from catastrophic burns. The
following paragraphs explain some of the circumstances in which FEEA has provided assistance.
One woman’s family faced extraordinary circumstances in the aftermath of September 11. Not
only were her husband, and their two children missing her, so were four children from a previous
relationship, six brothers and sisters, and many nieces and nephews. In the six weeks prior to the
attacks, one sister died unexpectedly, as did a 10-year-old nephew. Many of the immediate family
held hourly-wage jobs and/or had already exhausted their available vacation time in dealing with
the earlier tragedies. FEEA assisted all four of the deceased’s grown children, as well as her
husband, a sister and two nieces, mostly with regular monthly bills and/or lost wages.
Many families were still holding out hope that loved ones would be found alive when they received
word remains had been identified. One such young father struggled with how to tell his 5-year-old
daughter that Mommy wasn’t coming home. His devastation left him unable to even open many of
their bills and in need of much reassurance that the family would be able to say goodbye in the
way they wanted and needed to. FEEA assisted with many of the family’s bills, as well as those of
the husband’s parents, a retired couple on a fixed income who were experiencing many
unforeseen expenses while helping to care for their granddaughter.
A 17-year-old had barely started her first semester at college when she learned her mother was
missing in the attack on the Pentagon. An aunt took the girl into her home and began making
arrangements to vacate the apartment mother and daughter had shared. FEEA assisted the
family by paying for movers and storage space before another month’s rent would have been
due. This young woman is also registered for FEEA’s survivors’ scholarship program – she
returned to school in 2002.
Another young man left school to be with his father following the loss of his mother at the
Pentagon. After a few weeks, the father urged the boy to return to school, reminding him how
important his mother believed education to be, but not wanting to be away from his family, the son
refused. The son was eventually convinced to attend a local college and FEEA helped by making
the tuition payment.
A retired federal employee and his wife, a Customs Service employee, lost their 27-year-old son in
the collapse of the World Trade Towers. Unable to afford the funeral expenses, the family turned
to FEEA for help. Within days, checks were on the way and parents were able to say goodbye to
son in the way they wanted and needed to.
At Christmas time in 2001, the Fund paid for modifications to and intensive cleaning of a family’s
home, enabling one burn victim to leave the hospital and return home for the first time since
September 11. Because of her still-healing wounds and the fragility of her immune system, an
almost sterile environment was necessary before she was allowed to leave the hospital. In
addition, special railings were needed in several areas of the home to allow her to negotiate stairs
and bath more easily.
These are just a few of the families helped by the generosity of donors to FEEA’s WTC/Pentagon
Fund. Those assisted by the Fund express their heartfelt thanks to the individuals and
corporations who have made the Fund possible. FEEA also thanks our donors for enabling us to
have the privilege of helping so many American families.
Fund (FEEA) announced the formation of a FEEA World Trade Center/Pentagon Fund to assist
affected civilian federal employees and their families.
Immediate financial assistance was provided on-site at the Pentagon Family Assistance Center
from September 12 – October 10, with additional assistance provided via telephone during and
after that time. FEEA supported families with more than $400,000 for travel expenses, mortgages,
utility bills, funerals, and more.
FEEA ultimately raised more than $5.5 million to assist federal families affected by the 9/11
attacks. As with FEEA's OKC Fund, the decision was made to invest all monies not required for
immediate assistance in order to provide college scholarships to survivors.
The FEEA Pentagon Scholarship Program will provide a full college scholarship to any child who
lost a civilian federal employee parent in the attack on the Pentagon. Children whose parent was
critically injured are also eligible for the program, as are victims’ spouses who were already
attending college on September 11. Spouses wishing to return to college will be considered on a
case-by-case basis. FEEA has registered more than 60 eligible survivors for this program and
expects to provide scholarships until the youngest eligible child has had a chance to complete her
college education. Not yet two when her mother died in the attack on the Pentagon, she is
expected to enter college in 2018.
The Fund has assisted more than 40 family groups, including several families of those critically
injured at the Pentagon who spent many months recovering from catastrophic burns. The
following paragraphs explain some of the circumstances in which FEEA has provided assistance.
One woman’s family faced extraordinary circumstances in the aftermath of September 11. Not
only were her husband, and their two children missing her, so were four children from a previous
relationship, six brothers and sisters, and many nieces and nephews. In the six weeks prior to the
attacks, one sister died unexpectedly, as did a 10-year-old nephew. Many of the immediate family
held hourly-wage jobs and/or had already exhausted their available vacation time in dealing with
the earlier tragedies. FEEA assisted all four of the deceased’s grown children, as well as her
husband, a sister and two nieces, mostly with regular monthly bills and/or lost wages.
Many families were still holding out hope that loved ones would be found alive when they received
word remains had been identified. One such young father struggled with how to tell his 5-year-old
daughter that Mommy wasn’t coming home. His devastation left him unable to even open many of
their bills and in need of much reassurance that the family would be able to say goodbye in the
way they wanted and needed to. FEEA assisted with many of the family’s bills, as well as those of
the husband’s parents, a retired couple on a fixed income who were experiencing many
unforeseen expenses while helping to care for their granddaughter.
A 17-year-old had barely started her first semester at college when she learned her mother was
missing in the attack on the Pentagon. An aunt took the girl into her home and began making
arrangements to vacate the apartment mother and daughter had shared. FEEA assisted the
family by paying for movers and storage space before another month’s rent would have been
due. This young woman is also registered for FEEA’s survivors’ scholarship program – she
returned to school in 2002.
Another young man left school to be with his father following the loss of his mother at the
Pentagon. After a few weeks, the father urged the boy to return to school, reminding him how
important his mother believed education to be, but not wanting to be away from his family, the son
refused. The son was eventually convinced to attend a local college and FEEA helped by making
the tuition payment.
A retired federal employee and his wife, a Customs Service employee, lost their 27-year-old son in
the collapse of the World Trade Towers. Unable to afford the funeral expenses, the family turned
to FEEA for help. Within days, checks were on the way and parents were able to say goodbye to
son in the way they wanted and needed to.
At Christmas time in 2001, the Fund paid for modifications to and intensive cleaning of a family’s
home, enabling one burn victim to leave the hospital and return home for the first time since
September 11. Because of her still-healing wounds and the fragility of her immune system, an
almost sterile environment was necessary before she was allowed to leave the hospital. In
addition, special railings were needed in several areas of the home to allow her to negotiate stairs
and bath more easily.
These are just a few of the families helped by the generosity of donors to FEEA’s WTC/Pentagon
Fund. Those assisted by the Fund express their heartfelt thanks to the individuals and
corporations who have made the Fund possible. FEEA also thanks our donors for enabling us to
have the privilege of helping so many American families.