Bright Horizons, JPMorgan Chase, and Mercy Corps Providing Books And Comfort Kits to Aid Young Victims of Terror Attacks

NEW YORK, Nov 15, 2001 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The nation's leading child care provider, financial institution, and relief organization have teamed up in a collaborative effort to launch "Comfort for Kids," a project providing support and resources to children and families who have been impacted by the tragic events of September 11. Bright Horizons Family Solutions (NASDAQ: BFAM), JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM), and Mercy Corps have partnered to provide aid to young victims of the terror attacks in the New York area. "Comfort for Kids" offers a three-pronged approach to supporting children and their families, including a book to help parents discuss tragedy and fear with their children; "comfort kits" distributed to children who were directly impacted; and training sessions for teachers and caregivers to help them provide support to the children in their care.

"By bringing together the varied resources and expertise of all our organizations, Bright Horizons, JPMorgan Chase and Mercy Corps hope to bring comfort, compassion and calm to the children of New York and all the children and families who have suffered the impacts of these terrifying events," said Bright Horizons Chairman and Founder Linda Mason. "It is critical that as educators, employers and Americans that we work together to ensure that our nation's youth grow up to lead a peaceful, tolerant and terror-free world."

The first component of "Comfort for Kids" is a book authored by Jim Greenman, Bright Horizons Senior Vice President of Education and Program Development, entitled What Happened to the World: Helping Children Cope in Turbulent Times. The book specifically addresses the anxiety, fear, anger, and issues of tolerance that children may be facing in the wake of September 11 and the ensuing military effort. The book offers parents and caregivers advice on how to support and comfort their children, ranging from infants to teenagers, during times of tragedy.

More than 200,000 copies of the book, available in both English and Spanish, will be distributed by schools, child care centers, and community and health organizations in the New York area at no cost to parents and teachers. The Administration for Children's Services and the Human Resources Association are two such organizations that will receive and distribute copies of the book to child care providers, including Head Start programs and family child care homes.

In addition, many employers have purchased copies of the book to distribute to their employees. Each copy of What Happened to the World? purchased by an employer also funds the production of an additional copy that will be distributed to communities in need. Copies of the book are available to the public for $4.00 through Gryphon House Books by calling 800-638-0928. All proceeds from the sale of the book will support relief efforts related to the events of September 11. An electronic file of the book is also available free of charge on the Web at www.brighthorizons.com/talktochildren.

"All of us at JPMorgan Chase are proud to be involved in a project that touches so many individuals impacted by the tragic events of September 11. It's gratifying to know that a project, which started as an effort to serve the needs of our employees coping with attacks, will now be able to reach hundreds of thousands of families throughout New York and across the country as our nation continues to fight terrorism and intolerance," said Joy Bunson, Senior Vice President, Human Resources at JPMorgan Chase.

The second element of the project includes the distribution of 12,000 "comfort kits" to children who were directly impacted by the events of September 11. These kits include materials such as teddy bears, art supplies, flashlights, books and other items that will help children feel safe and secure. Among those receiving the kits will be children from P.S. 150, a small public school located six blocks from the World Trade Center, which has been displaced since September 11. Others receiving kits include the Mental Health Association of New York, WorkVision, the Hispanic Federation of NYC, and the Chinese-Christian Herald Crusade, Inc.

"In times of crisis it is critical to remember that the impact on a child can last a lifetime. Whether it's an infant in Afghanistan who needs for food, a toddler in New York who needs a special flashlight to find security, or a teenager who needs understanding, we feel privileged to be able to help them alleviate their suffering and fear. And we are grateful for the support of so many companies, community organizations, and individuals who lent their services, time and expertise to allow "Comfort for Kids" to provide relief to so many children," said Neal Keny-Guyer, Chief Executive Officer of Mercy Corps.

The "Comfort for Kids" relief effort also includes training sessions for school counselors, care givers, community leaders and others who will be administering discussions on how to talk to children and teenagers about the recent attacks, terrorism, fear, grief and tolerance. These trainings are taking place in New York City and the surrounding area.

Bright Horizons has also provided resources to parents and child care providers through a link on the company Web site that offers articles and information on how to help children cope with tragedy. For more information, visit the Bright Horizons Web site at www.brighthorizons.com.

    Bright Horizons Family Solutions

Bright Horizons Family Solutions is the world's leading provider of employer-sponsored child care, early education and work/life consulting services, managing more than 380 child care and early education centers in the United States, Canada, Europe and the Pacific Rim. Bright Horizons serves more than 300 clients, including 82 FORTUNE 500 companies and 48 of the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers," as recognized by Working Mother magazine. Bright Horizons was recently named one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For in America" by FORTUNE magazine.

    JPMorgan Chase

J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $799 billion and operations in more than 50 countries. With relationships with over 99% of the Fortune 1000 companies, the firm is a leader in investment banking, asset management, private banking, private equity, custody and transaction services, retail and middle market financial services, and e-finance. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase is headquartered in New York and serves more than 30 million consumer customers and the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients. Information about JPMorgan Chase is available on the Internet at www.jpmorganchase.com.

    Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. Since 1979, Mercy Corps has provided over $575 million in assistance to 73 nations. The agency's programs currently reach 5 million people in more than 25 countries, including the United States. Mercy Corps is a nonprofit organization with headquarters offices in Portland (Oregon), Seattle (Washington), Washington, DC, and Edinburgh, Scotland. Over 95 percent of the agency's resources are allocated directly to programs that help those in need.

In addition to the primary sponsors, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, JPMorgan Chase, and Mercy Corps, the following organizations donated invaluable services, materials and expertise to make What Happened to the World: Helping Children Cope in Turbulent Times possible:

    Dougy Center for Grieving Children
    Liquid Fire Advertising
    Child Care Information Exchange
    Grey Ink
    Gryphon House Books
    Pictorial Offset
    The Creative Photography Studio
    Steve Sack of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune

The following organization also donated materials, and partially underwrote the costs of the Comfort Kits:

    American Identity
    American Mothers, Inc.
    Barefoot Books
    Boise Cascade Office Products
    Community Playthings
    Eveready Battery Company, Inc.
    Harcourt, Inc.
    Hugs with a Heart
    JAKKS Pacific
    Kay-Bee Toys
    Kids Earth Fund America
    Patti Sue Rokus
    Portland Ear Testing Center
    Putumayo World Music
    Random House
    The Right Start
    Tilbury House
    Zany Brainy

The project's sponsors also wish to extend a special note of gratitude to LDS Charities for their generous support of the project and donation of valuable services.

CONTACT:          Bright Horizons  
                  Ilene Hoffer
                  (617) 673-8044
                  or
                  JPMorgan Chase 
                  Brian Marchiony
                  (212) 270-2596
                  or
                  Mercy Corps  
                  Laura Guimond
                  (503) 796-6827