Alexandria, Va., (October 29, 2001) - Hopkins House, a non-profit educational center for children and their families, reported today that it has experienced a 53% decline in donations to the organization since the attack on the Pentagon on September 11. As a result, the organization has been forced to cut back on tuition assistance to low-income families unable to afford the cost of quality childcare for their children, to cancel a major fundraiser, to curtail some services and is considering what options it may have to avoid abandoning a $1.2-million capital project for needy children and families in Fairfax County.

Founded in 1939, Hopkins House is one of Northern Virginia's oldest and largest community institutions. It provides early childhood, family education and community health education programs to over 6,000 low-income, working families yearly throughout Northern Virginia.

According to Hopkins House officials, gifts and contributions to the organization are down from last year by $48,256. "For an organization of our size that depends heavily on every contribution dollar, this is a great deal of money for us not to receive," said Hopkins House President, J. Glenn Hopkins. "If this trend continues, it could translate into well over $100,000 in lost support by the end of our fiscal year in June." Hopkins House has an annual budget of just over $1.3-million.

More than $1.04-billion has been raised by charitable organizations working on relief and recovery efforts after the September 11 tragedy, according to the latest Chronicle of Philanthropy estimate.

"We are forced to make very unpleasant adjustments as we try to maintain services to needy families and children in the face of seriously reduced donations," said Hopkins.

The organization announced that it cancelled a major benefit scheduled for October 20 due to its concern for those who lost their lives in the attack and their survivors. The organization had hoped to raise $150,000 for children whose families cannot afford the full cost of preschool tuition. The cancellation means that Hopkins House will have less than $20,000 to help needy children this year, compared to $65,000 in aid disbursed last year, unless the organization can raise the additional funds.

The organization is also delaying implementation of a new computer technology program for adolescents and teens because it believes funding for the project is not likely to materialize in time to launch the project this spring.

"This project is particularly important to us," said Hopkins, because it was conceived by and being organized by volunteers from the Pentagon. "I am determined to salvage what we can of this effort, because I believe it would mean a great deal to the volunteers from the Pentagon that worked so hard on this project and are now dealing with so much tragedy. I want this project to be a gift to them, a living gift that expresses our appreciation for all that they have given and continue to give to our nation, our children and their families."

Hopkins House had planned to solicit $105,000 in grants for the "Teacher-Child-And-Parent Digital Bridge" Project this fall. Doubtful that funding will materialize this year, Hopkins House officials have placed the project on hold for now. The organization received $65,000 in software for the project from the Microsoft Corporation and over $50,000 in computer equipment from local corporations just months before the Pentagon attack.

The organization's trustees are also looking into alternatives to avoid abandoning its three year old capital campaign to raise $1.2-million to construct a child and family learning center along the route one corridor in Fairfax County. Underway since 1998, Hopkins House officials were close to raising the $400,000 needed by the end of this year to complete the purchase of the land for the proposed building. If the money is not raised by the end of the year, the organization may lose its contract on the land to developers along with the $159,000 Hopkins House has already spent on permits, legal fees and environmental studies.

"This is the centerpiece of our effort to keep pace with the educational needs of low-income children in the area," said Hopkins. "The route one corridor, where we hope to construct this facility, is in urgent need of a learning and community center for the growing number of children and families in that area. To be forced to abandon this project would be a truly sad. These children need this center; the community needs this center; our country needs this center."

Hopkins said that prospective donors to the capital campaign were "telephoning pretty regularly regarding this project, but after September 11 our phones fell silent. I pray to God every day that our phones will start ringing again."

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