In the weeks

since the horrifying terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, we have been touched

of generosity, kindness and heroism.

We've heard

emotional stories from workers in the World Trade Center recounting the

minutes before the buildings collapsed: As they were running down the

stairs and out of the buildings to get out of harm's way, firefighters

and police officers were going the opposite direction ­ into the

building and up the dozens of flights of stairs to help as many people

as possible.

We have heard

how passengers on Flight 93 ­ learning from loved ones via cell phone

that other hijacked planes had been crashed into the World Trade Center

and Pentagon ­ heroically gave their own lives to save others, preventing

hijackers from crashing the plane into their intended target.

We've heard

of good Samaritans who could have been running for their lives to escape

the choking smoke and debris inside the Pentagon and at the World Trade

Center, but who stopped to help the injured and lead them to safety.

These stories

have touched our hearts, and in the aftermath of the tragedy many of us

may feel overwhelmed and helpless, wondering what we could possibly do

to lend a helping hand. As home builders, we reach out to help those who

are hurting or needy in our communities through our many Home Builders

Care projects. We build homes for those in need, we repair and renovate

the homes of disabled, elderly or less-fortunate neighbors. We also raise

money when it is needed, and that1s how we can help now.

The National

Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and its philanthropic arm, the National

Housing Endowment (NHE), and the hundreds of local home builders associations

across the country have taken on one of our most ambitious Home Builders

Care projects to date by establishing the Home Builders Care Victims Relief

Fund. Fully 100 percent of the donations to this fund will be given to

charities that help firefighters, police officers and the many other victims

of the terrorist attacks.

The fund was

set up shortly after the tragedies occurred, and NAHB contributed an initial

$250,000; NHE contributed another $125,000. A fundraising challenge was

also presented to the home building community. Privately, we set what

we thought was an optimistic goal of raising $5 million.

And then something

truly amazing happened. Within the first two weeks after the fund was

established, more than $9 million was pledged. The Home Builders Association

of Midwest Georgia has pledged $10 per member, which comes out to approximately

$4,650.

Seven major

publicly owned home building firms contributed $1 million each: Beazer

Homes; Centex Corp.; Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc.; Lennar Corp.; M.D.C.

Holdings, Inc./Richmond American Homes; Pulte Homes, Inc.; and Toll Brothers,

Inc. Several other builders pledged contributions of $250,000 or more.

While these

numbers are thrilling, they've made us realize that we can raise even

more. A contribution to the Home Builders Care Victims' Relief Fund is

fully tax-deductible. You may send your contribution to your local home

builders association, or you may send it to: Home Builders Care Victims'

Relief Fund, c/o National Housing Endowment, 1201 New York Ave. NW, Washington,

DC 20005.

In the coming

weeks, months and likely years, we will continue to hear touching stories

of the thousands of children who lost parents; husbands and wives who

lost spouses; mothers and fathers who lost children; brothers and sisters

who lost siblings; and friends who lost friends. We only hope that our

efforts will help bring some relief to their loved ones' tremendous grief.

(Eddie Lusher,

who is with Jerry Ballard Homes, is president of the Home Builders Association

of Midwest Georgia, which serves a membership of approximately 460 builders

and associate members in Fayette, Coweta, Spalding, Heard and Meriwether

counties.)

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