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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Wendy Healy: 203-744-6367
John Scibilia: 866-864-1600

HICKSVILLE MAN APPOINTED COORDINATOR OF LUTHERAN DISASTER RESPONSE OF NEW YORK, FUND FOR SEPT. 11 VICTIMS

NEW YORK – Nov. 26 – John J. Scibilia, Ph.D., of Hicksville has been appointed coordinator of the Lutheran Disaster Response of New York (LDR-NY), which will provide funding, support and assistance to victims and families of Sept. 11.

The LDR-NY is a joint project of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), which represent 6 million Lutherans nationwide. The position was created to oversee distribution of funds and coordination of support to meet the overwhelming needs resulting from Sept 11.

Scibilia will direct the church's participation in programs that provide assistance to people affected by the terrorist attacks. He is coordinating with other disaster-related umbrella groups such as FEMA/VOAD (Voluntary Agencies Active in Disaster), the New York Disaster Recovery Interfaith Taskforce and the Red Cross. He is also partnering with Lutheran agencies, including Lutheran Social Services, the Lutheran Counseling Center, Lutheran Medical Center and the Lutheran School Association.

"Most experts, particularly in the mental health arena, expect this recovery period to be at least 10 years," said Scibilia. "The church will play an important role in the long road ahead, referring those in need to appropriate assistance programs. We must be the marathoners, not the sprinters."

Scibilia has a long history with both branches of the Lutheran Church. Before his appointment to LDR-NY, he served six years as director of Schools for the ELCA in Chicago, a program that teaches more than 250,000 children in more than 2,000 schools across the country.

In 1992, he appointed the first executive director of the Metropolitan New York Synod Bishop's Mission Fund and assistant to the bishop for schools and special projects. He has also held positions as an educator and administrator in Lutheran schools and serves on ELCA leadership teams for the Help the Children Initiative. He is active in the Decade for Peace and Nonviolence, the Lutheran Peace Fellowship Board and the United Nations committee on teaching peace.

Scibilia has been recognized with several awards, including the Lutheran Schools Association Distinguished Service Award, the Center for Urban Education Ministry Outstanding Service Award, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Multicultural Medal.