At Grace House at Union Mission, residents ponied up $52 to assist the recovery effort in New York and Washington.

''After what happened ... it kind of touched everyone,'' said Ronnie Flournoy, a senior resident manager who has felt the bite of drugs and homelessness.

''We got a bucket, and every guy who came in, we asked for a donation,'' Mr. Flournoy, 43, said.

Donations ranged from 50 cents to $5, with 47 of the 53 residents contributing. The money will be sent to the Red Cross.

Grace House is a homeless shelter for men on Fahm Street. Residents who are able are expected to work, but many earn minimum or near-minimum wages.

Each is battling to reach independent living; most have few possessions of value.

It didn't matter, said Laura Webb, a community educator at Grace House.

''These men have families and children. Most are veterans,'' she said.

''These people are Americans, and they want to help.''

Another resident, identified only as Eddie, wants to have a car wash to raise money for the effort, she said.

Mr. Flournoy is not unlike his fellow homeless - he lost it all to drug and alcohol abuse, became ill and found his way to the Union Mission J.C. Lewis Health Center.

''I went back to drinking and drugging up,'' Mr. Flournoy said of his earlier life. ''I can take or leave alcohol, but it goes along with drugging.''

For Mr. Flournoy, a two-year prison sentence for selling drugs and almost 10 years of cocaine and crack use sent a promising future into a tailspin.

In his case, an infected tooth drove him to the center for something to kill the pain.

''I went there to get some pain pills and go back out,'' he said.

There, Melanie Finocchiaro, a family nurse practitioner, recognized him and got him a bed in early October.

By Nov. 28, he was across the street at Grace House, where he will remain until he heals.

In his younger days, Mr. Flournoy said he moved furniture, but rheumatoid arthritis, a disease that causes joints to become inflamed and painful, ended those days.

With Ms. Webb's help he's planning to complete his GED next week.

Mr. Flournoy hopes to be selected as a case manager at Grace House.

His future plans call for work as a drug counselor.

''I think I'm real qualified,'' Mr. Flournoy said through a broad grin.

The response of Grace House was not a surprise.

''We're all Americans,'' he said. ''We wanted to help the best we could. The ones who didn't (give), didn't have.''