Dealing With Terrorism

The terrorist attacks last Tuesday have generated a flood of generosity. Money, volunteers and medical personnel have poured into New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Some blood donation centers in Southern California reported donors waiting up to four hours in lines that stretched down the block. Resources have been mobilized online as well for would-be volunteers and for parents and children. Here are some of the best:

American Red Cross

The agency offers daily updates on what the Red Cross is doing, plus information on how to volunteer or donate blood. Includes a search feature to find local centers. https://www.redcross.org

American Assn. of Blood Banks

This site provides a quick way to find the nearest blood bank, including Red Cross locations and hundreds of others. https://www.aabb.org/Locator/Locator.asp

National Institute of Mental Health

The institute offers an excellent review of post-crisis psychology called “Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters.” https://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/violence.cfm

National Education Assn.

The association’s “Crisis Communication Guide” describes typical symptoms of stress reactions and provides a checklist to help identify such reactions, as well as pointers on how to help children cope. https://www.nea.org/01crisis.html

National Assn. of School Psychologists

The site includes a coping guide for parents, teachers and children. https://www.nasponline.org/neat/crisis_0911.html