David was hardly alone among Lower Manhattanites, young and old. One month after the massive devastation half a world away, Downtown schools, community groups and representatives have mobilized to raise thousands of dollars for the Red Cross, Unicef and other relief organizations. And there's more coming.

The fundraising drives were echoed across the country, but in Lower Manhattan there was a difference. This community knows first-hand about living with destruction in its midst, and what it is like to feel helping hands reach out from around the world.

"The residents of Lower Manhattan understand the loss, they understand the numbness and the loss of spirit that can come with a disaster," said State Senator Martin Connor at a Jan. 14 press conference. "They also understand how people's spirits are lifted when other people care."

They also hope to identify a sister community they can aid on a long-term basis. "This is about recovery and rebuilding," said Barry Wolk, one of the organizers. "Hopefully we can be there for some of these people down the road."

For two Battery Park City residents the tragedy was not in a far off place, but was felt in their own home. At a vigil held by BPC Cares on Jan. 26, Robert Weissberger placed a carnation in a basket in memory of his 27-year-old daughter, Nicole, who was killed on an island in Thailand.

"It's just been awful," he said, standing with his wife, Erica Gilbert, in the P.S./I.S. 89 auditorium, where nearly 40 people had gathered on a frigid night. But he felt comforted by friends and by the support of the neighborhood they moved into last August. "In moments like this, it's the one thing that's most important," he said.

In Tribeca, fundraising rarely happens without food and fashion. On Feb. 2, chefs from 18 restaurants are to participate in New York Chefs Cooking for Life (www.nyccl.com), a benefit at Tribeca Rooftop. On Feb. 6, a Vietnamese dinner and fashion show will follow a day of lunar New Year's activities at Gallery Viet Nam.

While Downtown chefs were getting ready to cook, students at P.S. 150 got busy baking. Just a week after they returned from Christmas vacation, Marina Templeton's 5th-grade class held a rummage and bake sale that raised $1,149. That afternoon, the students sat in a circle and reflected on their efforts. "I'm happy because the bake sale is doing good," one girl said, "and because it's Friday."

Isabel Jenkins, 11, recalled the donations the school received after Sept. 11. "I remember every single day we'd get loads of stuffed animals and boxes of stuff," she said. "It was nice to know people care."

At P.S. 89, students were also feeling the connection between the tsunami tragedy and the outpouring of charity they once received. "This is one of the only events where the whole world tried to chip in to help, except Sept. 11," said fifth-grader Melissa Watt.

In the months after Sept. 11, P.S. 89 began Operation Piggy Bank, an annual fundraiser aimed at giving back in appreciation for what the they had received. Last month the school quickly decided to aid the tsunami victims.

"It was the obvious thing to do," said Rose DeKlerk, one of the organizers. For four weeks, students brought in bags filled with coins and the occasional check to fill bright pink and blue piggy banks in each classroom.

At the end of each week, DeKlerk wheeled a metal cart from room to room, collected the piggies and took the donations to the bank to be counted and eventually given to Unicef.

This month much of the neighborhood may be wearing its heart on its wrist. In a joint venture, P.S. 234, P.S. 89 and P.S. 150 will be selling 5,000 bright orange bracelets for $2 each. The bracelets will be inscribed on one side with "Tribeca/BPC" and on the other side with words that speak for a whole community: "We Care."