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Help Save the National Center for Missing Adults

By on January 21, 2009 in call to action, donate, FirstGiving, funding, fundraiser, Kym Pasqualini, Lilly Aramburo, missing adults, National Center for Missing Adults, NCMA, social media, Twitter, US Department of Justice

Who would you turn to if your loved one went missing? The Police? The mainstream media? If that was your answer you have a rude awakening coming to you. Police departments are either way too understaffed, un-educated or just focusing on high profile cases. If your missing loved one was over the age of 18, police may say they have every right to “disappear”. And the media, you can forget about it, unless your loved one falls into a certain category like Caylee Anthony or Natalie Hollaway, then you’re probably not going to have any luck getting any attention or help from them.

Thankfully, for 15 years there has been the National Center for Missing Adults. The NCMA is a division of the Nation’s Missing Children Organization, Inc. (NMCO) a 501c(3) non-profit organization, formally established after the passage of Kristen’s Law (H.R. 2780) by the United States Congress on October 26th, 2000. The NCMA operates as the national clearinghouse for missing adults, providing services and coordination between various government agencies, law enforcement, media, and families of missing adults. NCMA also maintains a national database of thousands of missing adults determined to be “endangered” or otherwise at-risk in the US. But not for long.

Since 2005, NCMA has been waiting for Congress to reauthorize Kristen’s Act to provide the funding so crucially needed to continue its work. Due to its failure, the country’s only national clearinghouse and missing adult database is in such extreme distress some believe only a miracle can save it. NCMA founder, Kym Pasqualini and her small staff of less than 5 volunteers, have kept the agency alive despite many difficulties including critical shortage and loss of funding, in 2006 they were

“financially forced to vacate and close the doors of the facility they had operated from for nearly ten years“

and going 2 years without pay and mounting debt, in order to continue providing services to those in need. Time is dangerously close to running out for NCMA. To make matters even graver still, Kym (a single mother) is facing eviction.

This doesn’t seem right to me. Not for anyone but especially not for Kym and the National Center for Missing Adults! The loss of the NCMA would mean no more support for families of the missing!

How can this happen?

Days after Hurricane Katrina devastated the gulf coast region, Bureau of Justice Assistance; United States Department of Justice (DOJ) requested the immediate assistance of the National Center for Missing Adults. In the weeks following, NCMA received 13,502 reports related to Hurricane Katrina and Rita, in addition to cases normally registered with the agency involving missing adults who are determined by the investigating law enforcement agency to be “at risk” due to diminished mental capacity, physical disability, medical conditions, suspected foul play or suspicious circumstances of the disappearance. NCMA resolved 99.8% of all reports with costs to the agency in excess of $250,000 and depleted the agency’s non-federal reserve of funds. NCMA has only received $50,000 to cover the work they did at the request of the Dept. of Justice. The DOJ still hasn’t released the funds owed to the NCMA for their work related to Hurricane Katrina.

We cannot allow this valuable resource to die.

I feel strongly about this as my own friend, Lily Aramburo, went missing and has been gone for almost 2 years now. Following Lily’s disappearance, I contacted NCMA. Tanya, the volunteer who assisted us, was working from home on these cases because of the agency’s funding situation. Despite these obstacles, she was comforting, professional and understanding. She was steadfast in her efforts contacting law enforcement in order to get Lilly’s case confirmed and didn’t stop until she finally succeeded. I’ve had the privilege of working with Kym and her faithful team of volunteers. I admire them for their selfless efforts on behalf of our missing loved ones and the families who are left behind, searching for them.

My goal is to show Kym that people do care, we recognize their work is valuable. The NCMA doesn’t need to wait for a MIRACLE…

It’s within our power to save the National Center for Missing Adults. I urge you to stand with me and help in any way you possibly can. What can you do to help, you ask?

First and foremost they need money! Click on the FirstGiving fundraising widget below and visit my NCMA Fundraising Page Tax-deductible donations can be made online safely and securely through FirstGiving.

The NCMA accepts donations on their website as well. You can give as little as $5 using Google Checkout. Or if you prefer to send a check directly to NCMA, please mail to:

National Center for Missing Adults
PO Box 6389
Glendale, AZ 85312 US

If you commit to giving just $5 (the cost of a Starbucks coffee) we would be that much closer to achieving the goal.

If you can’t give money, no problem. Maybe someone you know can. Please share this post via your email list and IM.

Do you use Twitter?

Follow the NCMA! Share this post and ask your friends and followers to retweet it (Join the NCMA RT RALLY starting NOW!).

Are you on Facebook, Myspace, Ning, or other social networking sites?

On Facebook, support the NCMA by setting your status to display a short message with a link to this post. Join the NCMA Facebook Group and invite everyone you know. Use your social networks to spread the word! You can get your very own fundraising widget or badge to add on your profile and encourage others to do the same.

Do you have a blog or website?

There are several ways to help by using your blog/website:
1. Place the FirstGiving Fundraising Widget or badge on your site
2. Take a few minutes to write a post about the crisis, link to this and include the NCMA donation page
3. Add the NCMA badge on your site

I hope you take this opportunity to turn your compassion into action by donating to Help Save the National Center for Missing Adults…prevent thousands of families and missing people from being negatively affected and losing their only national resource. You can also help tremendously by signing the Support the National Center for Missing Adults petition.

Here’s an article about Kym Pasqualini and NCMA recently published in the Phoenix Times, “The National Center for Missing Adults’ Funding Was Slashed by the Feds, but Volunteers Are Keeping It Alive” By Sarah Fenske.

Don’t forget to bookmark, Stumble and share this post. RT on Twitter. Link to post. Share on your social networks and most importantly… GIVE GENEROUSLY & SPREAD THE WORD!

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A Call to ACTION – Congress to discuss Kristen’s Act TODAY!

By on July 14, 2008 in Congress, donate NCMA, funding, HR, Kristen’s Act, missing persons, NCMA, support NCMA


Today July 15 at 2PM, Kristen’s Act is getting attention in congress. H.R. 423 would authorize the Attorney General to provide grants for organizations to find missing adults.

* Detailed Summary
* Status of the Legislation
* Points in Favor

Detailed Summary

Kristen’s Act Reauthorization of 2007- Directs the Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, to make grants to public agencies and/or nonprofit private organizations to: (1) maintain a national resource center and information clearinghouse for missing and unidentified adults; (2) maintain a national, interconnected database for tracking missing adults who are determined by law enforcement to be endangered due to age, diminished mental capacity, or the circumstances of disappearance, when foul play is suspected or circumstances are unknown; (3) coordinate public and private programs that locate or recover missing adults or reunite missing adults with their families; (4) provide assistance and training to law enforcement agencies, State and local governments, elements of the criminal justice system, nonprofit organizations, and individuals in the prevention, investigation, prosecution, and treatment of cases involving missing adults; (5) provide assistance to families in locating and recovering missing adults; and (6) assist in public notification and victim advocacy related to missing adults.

Directs the Attorney General, through the Director, to: (1) coordinate Government-funded programs relating to missing adults; and (2) provide the public agencies or nonprofit private organizations receiving grants to maintain a national resource center and information clearinghouse for missing and unidentified adults with access to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Crime Information Center.
Status of the Legislation

Latest Major Action: 2/2/2007: Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Points in Favor

The FBI recently released statistics for missing persons as of Dec 31, 2007. The report shows that of the roughly 100,000 missing persons cases being tracked by the FBI, ~48% are adults (See DOJ press release, http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel08/ncic2007stats053008.htm and associated report) . The bill renewing funding for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children [NCMEC] was signed by the President on June 3, 2008 (P.L. 110-240) but the companion bill renewing funding for the National Center for Missing Adults [NCMA] awaits action in the House Judiciary Committee. As of this writing, Rep Myrick’s bill has 24 cosponsors and no objections to the bill have been voiced.

NCMA has provided essential service to both families and law enforcement agencies for 14 years and is endorsed by over 300 law enforcement agencies. They provided crucial infrastructure and resources in the location and identification of well over 13,000 adults in the national emergency of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. The cost of the Katrina effort wiped out the financial reserves of NCMA. HR 423 will restore the resources of an exemplary agency, allowing it to continue to provide a valuable public service.

Please contact your congressperson and let them know how you feel. You must act now. Time is of the essence. You can call your congressperson at 202-224-3121, ask for them by name or provide your zip code and the operator will look up your Representative. Or you can send an email directly by visiting http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/

Below is an example email:
Hi, my name is Melinda, I live in Miami, FL and I have a close family
member that has gone missing. I am calling concerning H.R.423, Kristen’s
Act Re-authorization of 2007. This bill provides funding to the NCMA, an
organization which provides support to missing persons and law enforcement
agents. The Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security is
holding a hearing on this bill Tuesday July, 15 at 2PM and I want to urge
you to voice your support to the subcommittee before or during this time.

Your support is crucial. If you would like to get more involved, take a look at NCMA’S advocacy page. Also, please sign this petition Online petition – Support the National Center for Missing Adults (HR 423)

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National Center for Missing Adults needs funding. Please help support the NCMA

By on June 20, 2008 in Congress, donate NCMA, funding, letter writing, missing adults, missing persons, NCMA, resources, support NCMA

I have a deep appreciation and admiration for the National Center for Missing Adults. I’m sure you know who they are but for those that don’t I’ll fill you in. They are a division of Nation’s Missing Children Organization, Inc. (NMCO) – a 501c (3) non-profit organization working in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs. The National Center for Missing Adults (NCMA) was formally established after the passage of Kristen’s Law (H.R. 2780) by the 106th United States Congress on October 26th, 2000 (S11181). As directed by H.R. 2780, NCMA operates as the national clearinghouse for missing adults, providing services and coordination between various government agencies, law enforcement, media, and most importantly – the families of missing adults. NCMA also maintains a national database of missing adults determined to be “endangered” or otherwise at-risk.

The NCMA is in desperate need of funding. If you have the means to help financially, please consider sending a donation. You can use their automated and secure credit card donation system, and help to make your funds go further by significantly reducing processing and administrative costs.
You can also Donate by Phone. Call them at (800) 690-FIND or (602) 749-2000, extension #113, to make a credit card contribution over the telephone during normal business hours.

Another great way to help the NCMA is by becoming an advocate by contacting congress and encouraging others to do the same. Click here for more info on becoming an advocate and writing to congress.

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