Red Cross details long-term 9/11 effort

'How we will deliver on the Red Cross' promise'

The American Red Cross Command Center in Stamford, Connecticut, coordinated volunteers to help people cope with the September 11 attacks.

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The American Red Cross outlined a $133 million effort Thursday to provide long-term support to nearly 50,000 families affected by the September 11 attacks.

Details of the September 11 Recovery Program were announced by the chairman, Robert M. Bender Jr., who is chief executive officer of the American Red Cross in Greater New York.

"While our efforts to provide direct financial assistance will continue, this marks the start of a targeted effort to ensure that we are serving those who need our help on long-term issues, such as mental health and health care," Bender said.

"This program is how we will deliver on the Red Cross' promise to the American public to help people cope with this disaster throughout the course of their recovery."

The Red Cross was severely criticized last November after it used donations for purposes other than direct aid to rescuers and victims.

"All the money we now have is committed to victims of September 11, their family members and those directly affected by the attacks," a Red Cross spokesman said Thursday.

The estimated cost of the ongoing effort is more than $133 million and it will last between three and five years.

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The announcement marks the second phase of the organization's Liberty Fund disaster relief plan. The first phase provided $813 million for immediate disaster relief and direct emergency assistance, catering to victims' short-term needs.

The September 11 Recovery Program will supply long-term services to all individuals eligible for assistance, including the family members of those lost in the attacks, the seriously injured and their families, rescue and recovery workers, and displaced residents.

Advice from those directly affected by the tragedy and other service agencies, such as the Mental Health Association and the Environmental Protection Agency, helped develop the program.

It is composed of five major initiatives:

The spokesman told CNN that an additional $42 million is available should the need arise, as well as donations that continue to come into the organization.

"We are here and on stand-by if there are emerging needs some time down the line that may not be apparent to us right now," he said.