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CNN Saturday Morning News

America's New War: NYC Authorities Say Volunteers Are Not Needed

Aired September 15, 2001 - 12:07   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: And Bill Hemmer has a very good idea of the level of support that continues. Is anybody taking this message from the police commissioner seriously right now?

BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, to be quite frank with you, they don't care. They want to stay in line and put their name on a list somewhere and think possibly they could be called back tomorrow or later next week, anything they can do to contribute.

You mentioned hundreds of volunteers showing up here. I'd up that number quite safely to say thousands have shown up here today, and they continue to come here. Again, we are on the West Side of Manhattan at this point.

But that word went out that you mentioned from the police commissioner in the past hour that they are OK right now when it comes to the number of volunteers. Let's get some reaction from those volunteers, many of whom have been in line for hours now. First of all, we have Lewis, right to left, Michelle and Gregory is it?

GREGORY: Yes.

HEMMER: First of all, to Lewis back over here. The fact that you will be not be able to go at least at this point, how does that make you feel?

LEWIS: I'm a little upset that I'm not going to be able to get there today, but you know, if they need volunteers, I want to help, I want to do whatever I can.

HEMMER: What's the purpose for you staying here then?

LEWIS: Something. Just an answer, somewhere I can put my name down, anything, so I can be called.

HEMMER: Michelle, what do you think? When you got the word, how did it feel?

MICHELLE: Well, I feel they are -- they should tell us what we can do. There must be something that we can do, whether it's picking up a broom, going downward, dusting, and just picking up dust off the street. There's not just ground one that needs to be taken care of. There's a lot of other things. And if they just went out and told the volunteers, hey, go buy a broom and a couple of bags and start cleaning it up -- anything, anything at all.

HEMMER: Does it do your heard any good knowing that the city is saying, we have enough people at this point?

MICHELLE: Oh, absolutely. It does my heart good to see...

ZAHN: Sorry to cut you off here midstream, Bill Hemmer.

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