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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 8, 2005
CONTACT: Shawn Flaherty
or phone (703) 903-4384
THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED CHILDREN RECEIVES $100,000 GRANT FROM THE FREDDIE MAC FOUNDATION
Grant Will Help Reunite Displaced Children With Their Families Following Hurricane Katrina
Alexandria, VA – The Freddie Mac Foundation awarded the National Center
for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) a $100,000 grant for its efforts
in locating and reuniting the more than 4,850 children missing or displaced
from their families due to Hurricane Katrina.
The $100,000 Foundation grant is part of a combined total of $10 million that
Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE) and the Freddie Mac Foundation have donated to various
organizations that are helping Gulf coast residents who have been affected by
Hurricane Katrina.
“Missing children are a grim and haunting reality for too many families
whose lives were upended by the Gulf coast hurricanes,” explained Maxine
B. Baker, president and CEO, Freddie Mac Foundation. “Creating hope for
children is at the heart of what we do at the Freddie Mac Foundation. That’s
why we are supporting NCMEC’s important work around reuniting children
with their families following Hurricane Katrina.”
At the request of the U.S. Department of Justice, NCMEC developed a Katrina
Missing Persons Hotline, a call center equipped with computers and telephones
to take reports of missing or displaced children, children “looking for
their parents,” and missing adults. Additionally, NCMEC deployed representatives
from its Team Adam and Project ALERT programs to the areas that were affected.
Team Adam and Project ALERT are made up of specially-trained retired law enforcement
personnel who are available to assist law enforcement agencies in missing child
cases. The Foundation’s grant will ensure that this program can continue
since so many children still remain missing.
“The Freddie Mac Foundation has been a good friend to NCMEC. We appreciate
the support of the Freddie Mac Foundation in assisting us in our ongoing work
to reunite families displaced as a result of Hurricane Katrina,” said
Ernie Allen, NCMEC’s president and CEO.
Since September NCMEC has handled more than 32,000 phone calls related to fractured
families and missing adults. Furthermore, NCMEC has resolved more than 86 percent
of the cases and will continue to work with law enforcement until all the cases
are resolved.
About the National Center For Missing & Exploited Children
NCMEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works in cooperation with the
U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
NCMEC's congressionally mandated CyberTipline, a reporting mechanism for child
sexual exploitation, has handled more than 350,000 leads. Since its establishment
in 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement with more than 111,000 missing child
cases, resulting in the recovery of more than 96,900 children. For more information
about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST of visit
its web site at www.missingkids.com.
Created by Freddie Mac in 1991, the Freddie Mac Foundation is dedicated
to opening the doors to hope and opportunity for children and their families.
As one of the largest corporate funders in the Washington, DC metropolitan area,
Freddie Mac and the Freddie Mac Foundation have invested nearly $250 million
in organizations serving the community.
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