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Welcome

As we commemorate two of the most devastating disasters in U.S. history, the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we are reminded of the importance of preparing ourselves and loved one for disasters.  You can take action before a disaster occurs to ensure you have essential supplies, plans, and a way to communicate with loved ones. This planning is critical and can lesson the impact when disaster strikes. 

FOS11 is a proud coalition member of National Preparedness Month 2006, a nationwide effort held this September to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses, and schools. Co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the American Red Cross, the goal of National Preparedness Month is to increase public awareness about the importance of preparing for emergencies and to encourage individuals to take action. 

There are many resources available to you to learn how to prepare for disasters that provide guidance on creating disaster bags and go-kits, as well as how to create emergency plans for all types of disasters.  Click here to access the National Preparedness Month 2006 Coalition Member Tool Kit.  You can also visit the Department of Homeland Security website, the American Red Cross website, and the Families of September 11 website for information to protect yourself and your family. 

For specific preparedness information that pertains to where you live, visit your local emergency management website (for example, the New York City website can be found at www.nyc.gov/oem). 

We hear that we must be better prepared almost every day.  But how many of us are taking the steps necessary?  Information is available, but we have to act on it now, before disaster strikes.  Use the checklists and preparedness material to get more prepared one week at a time.  Add to your plan every week and before you know it, you will have a well thought out plan for you and your loved ones.

Issues Update

FOS11 and the Nuclear Threat Initiative Launch Public Awareness Campaign to Prevent Nuclear Terrorism

Last December, the 9/11 Commission gave the government a “D” in its efforts to lock down nuclear weapons materials.  Families of September 11 needs your help to turn that “D” into an “A”.  Concerned that not enough is being done to keep nuclear weapons and materials out of the hands of terrorists, Families of September 11 and the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) launched a joint public awareness campaign to increase awareness of, and urge citizens to join in, supporting efforts to prevent nuclear terrorism. 

The educational initiative includes such activities as: national screenings and discussions around the docudrama Last Best Chance (www.lastbestchance.org), the release of three Public Service Announcements (PSAs) to more than 1,200 television stations nationwide; the launch of the www.saferworld.org website for comprehensive information on how Americans can make the country safer and more secure, and public meetings to discuss the threat and prevent of nuclear terrorism.   Click here to read the press release about this important initiative and about our recent journey to Capitol Hill to engage our elected officials in locking down nuclear weapons materials before they get into the hands of terrorists. 

FOS11 Partnership: National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement
Families of September 11 has been working with the newly created National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement (NCSCB) to raise awareness of how schools can support students, teachers and parents who are struggling with issues of loss and bereavement. FOS11 advisory board member, MaryEllen Salamone, has developed an introductory letter to school administrators/educators, and Dr. David Schonfeld, Director of the NCSCB has prepared helpful guidelines for preparing for the fifth anniversary of 9/11.

This commemoration comes at a particularly difficult time in the school year. Many students may be new to their classrooms or to their school. Teachers will only recently have met their students. Therefore assessing students' reactions may be challenging. The degree of a child's reaction may vary depending upon a child's and his/her family's experiences since September 11, 2001. Recent losses or traumatic events, as well as other factors related to young persons' individual life experiences and unique needs, will also affect their reactions. The guidelines and suggestions in the materials attached offer helpful insights to teachers and other school personnel in assisting students and their families during this difficult time.  For more details visit the FOS11 website and you can now visit the Center's newly launched website which will grow to include more and more resources for educators, civic leaders and parents, click here. 

September 11th Oral History Project – Story Corps
People who lost loved ones at the World Trade Center in 1993 and the 2001 terrorist attacks are sharing their memories through an oral history project that will be part of the memorial museum at ground zero (scheduled to open in 2009).  StoryCorps has set a goal of recording at least one story about each of the 2,979 people killed at the trade center and on Sept. 11 at the Pentagon and on United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa.

The oral histories are recorded like conversations, with pairs of witnesses interviewing each other. For information on how to set-up your appointment and more information on how this works, visit the Story Corps website, call (646) 723-7027, or email Emily Feit at emily@storycorps.net. 

FOS11 Memorial Bulletin Board

Thank you for all the recent postings on the Memorial Bulletin Board.  Over the last few weeks, several new postings were added, again showing the broad impact of the September 11th attacks.  Please visit the bulletin board to read how others are memoralizing and remembering their loved ones and others.  To visit the bulletin board and add to it, click here.   

Upcoming Events

FOS11 Calendar
Go to the FOS11 calendar for more events.

FOS11 Chat Program Online Community Support Group
Thursday, September 28th, 8pm-9pm EDT
Please join your peers in the 9/11 community for the next online chat, “Reflecting on Commemoration” which will be held, Thursday, September 28th from 8pm-9pm EDT. 

As we continue to move through this time of commemoration, it is often helpful to reflect and share your experiences with others.  This will be the focus of our next online chat.  Please take this opportunity to join with your peers in the 9/11 community.  This online chat session will provide 9/11 victims' families, survivors, first responders, and others affected by the attacks at the Pentagon, the World Trade Center, and Shanksville the opportunity to discuss issues and topics of importance in a safe, supportive environment. As a reminder, all participants must be FOS11 members (please see below on how to register as a member - membership is free). Dr. Donna Gaffney, a licensed mental health professional and noted trauma specialist, will facilitate the chat.

Enroll Now:
http://www.familiesofseptember11.org/chat2/membership_form.asp?chatID=92806

To learn more about the chat program visit the FOS11 website.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at (212) 575-1878 or chathelp@familiesofseptember11.org.

New Jersey Philharmonic Concert to Commemorate 9/11
Sunday, October 1, 2006
The Korean-American Association of Greater New York will sponsor the concert of New Jersey Philharmonic (music Director Nam Yun Kim) to commemorate 9/11 on Sunday, October 1,2006 at Carnegie Hall, Issac Stern Auditorium.

The concert will include the master pieces of Rachmaninoff, Vivaldi, and Mozart. Mozart's Requiem which is a poignant piece and Mozart's final composition will be concluded by the concert of New Jersey concert Choir. Through this concert, they would like to commemorate 9-11 and would like to console bereaved families from the police department, the fire department and other many victims.

There are only 500 free tickets available. Click here for more information or contact Korean Association of Greater New York at 212-255-6969 for tickets and for more information.

“Life and Liberty After 9/11” : National Juried Exhibit at the Las Cruces Museum of Art
September 1, 2006 – November 18, 2006
Five years later, as our nation reflects on the significance of events of Sept. 11, 2001, the Las Cruces Museum of Art offers “Life and Liberty After 9 -11, “a national juried exhibit by artists working a variety of media. An opening reception for the exhibit was held on Friday, Sept. 1. The show will run through November 18.
The exhibit will include panels detailing the ongoing creation of memorials at the sites of the NY Trade Center, the Pentagon and the Pennsylvania crash site of Flight 93. An interactive aspect of the exhibit will be a posting board where visitors can share their memories of where they were or what they experienced on Sept. 11, 2001.

All exhibits and receptions are accessible and free to the public. For more information about Museum exhibits, programs and Museum Studio classes, call 505-541-2137 or visit the website www.museums.las-cruces.org.

“Here was New York: Twin Towers in Symbolic Images” Photo Exhibition
September 7, 2006 – September 30, 2006
To mark the fifth anniversary of September 11th, a photo exhibition “Here Was New York: Twin Towers in Symbolic Images” will be held simultaneously in galleries across Brooklyn from September 7- September 30th, including 5+5 Gallery, Safe-t-Gallery, and Gloria Kennedy Gallery, all in DUMBO, Brooklyn Historical Society in Brooklyn Heights, and City Reliquary in Williamsburg.
In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, the Twin Towers were represented in various ways throughout the Metropolitan region and they are still in symbolic evidence 5 years later. This exhibit documents these post-September 11th representations.

Curated by BAC folklorist Kay Turner, the impetus for the exhibit stems from a wish to acknowledge local forms of remembrance that keep the Twin Towers visible to us as we go about our daily post- 9/11 lives. "Never forget" means never forget that day, but in another sense it means never forget what was before that day.

This exhibit also serves as homage and counterpoint to “Here Is New York,” a photo exhibit which opened immediately after the attacks in 2001. Held in a makeshift gallery in SOHO, that remarkable project made it possible for anyone to hang their photos recording the events of September 11th. Hundreds did so and thousands came to see the pictures. “Here Was New York” acts upon the same democratic principles as its predecessor and invites anyone in the New York area to submit a photo documenting the Twin Towers as they remain visible in symbolic form throughout the city.

For more information, email ssturman@brooklynartscouncil.org or kturner@brooklynartscouncil.org.

Tribute Center Daily Walking Tours
July 18, 2006 – July 18, 2007
The Tribute Center provides daily public tours around the perimeter of the World Trade Center site. Led by people who lost loved ones, survivors of the attacks, lower Manhattan residents and workers, rescue workers, police, firefighters, and volunteers who came to help, the tours give an overview of what happened at the site on February 26, 1993 and September 11, 2001 and provide an opportunity for visitors to hear their guide’s personal experiences.
Tour Reservations:
Tours begins at 120 Liberty Street, in front of the future Tribute Center, and last approximately one hour. Tour reservations can be booked online at http://www.telecharge.com/behindTheCurtain.aspx under “Other Events.” Advanced registration fee is $10.00 per person; children under 12 are admitted free.

Daily Tours
Weekdays 1:00 PM & 3:00 PM EST
Weekends 12:00 PM; 1:00 PM; 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM EST

The Tribute Center is a project of the September 11th Widows and Victims' Families' Association. The idea for the Tribute Center grew out of the desire of those closely affected by the events of September 11th to share their stories – accounts of the day and the remarkable outpouring of help and heroism; narratives of courage in spite of loss and grief; and reports of resilience in the face of tragedy. It came from a realization that we are living through a historical moment and that all of these stories can bring perspective and hope to those seeking to learn about one of the most infamous days in America’s history.

For more information, email info@tributenyc.org or visit the website below.
http://www.tributenyc.org/tributenyc_walking_tours.htm

Resources

Health Issues for 9/11 Rescue and Recovery Workers
FOS11 has received a number of requests for information about resources available to people who participated in the rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center during the weeks and months after 9/11. As more reports of illnesses in this population surface, it is becoming apparent that there is a need for timely and accurate information about examination and treatment resources available to people who were possibly exposed to toxic material. We will be monitoring these developments, especially in light of Governor Pataki’s recent bill signing, and reporting on them in the Health Issues Section of the Support Resources area of the FOS11 website.

9/11 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Program
This program provides financial assistance for the cost of mental health and substance abuse treatment. Created by the September 11th Fund and the American Red Cross and now managed by the Mental Health Association of New York City (MHA), this program offers financial assistance with the cost of mental health and substance abuse treatment to those directly affected by the attacks, regardless of insurance or immigration status. You are eligible for the 9/11 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Program if you:
• Lost a family member
• Were physically injured
• Lived below Canal Street
• Worked in the World Trade Center area or the Pentagon – whether or not you were at work that day
• Were evacuated from the World Trade Center area or the Pentagon
• Attended a school near the World Trade Center or are the parent of a child who attended a school nearby
• Were a rescue, recovery, or reconstruction worker assigned to a “restricted site”
• Were an emergency dispatcher on 9/11 or worked in the morgues serving the attack sites worked south of Canal Street or at Ronald Reagan Airport, and before January 11, 2002 lost your job or earned less than 70% of your pre-9/11 income
• If you are a family member or shared a home with any of the people whose situations are listed here
Financial assistance for treatment is retroactive to September 11, 2001 and will cover dates of service through December 31, 2007. That means if you are eligible and you received treatment after the initial attacks, your out-of-pocket costs may still be covered.  You must enroll by January 2, 2007 to be eligible for these services.
Visit the website and begin registration online at http://www.9-11mentalhealth.org/ or call any of the following numbers:
• 1-800-LIFENET (1-800-543-3638) (English)
• 1-877-Ayudese 1-877-298-3373 (Spanish)
• 1-877-990-8585 (Asian LifeNet)
• 1-212-982-5284 (TTY)

Children of September 11th
Visit the Children of September 11th website for articles and resources that pertain directly to children and young adults.  Learn about programs and activities available, resources established for children and young adults, and articles that address common issues of children and young adults. 

School Crisis Planning

The National Association of School Psychologists established a website with school crisis planning information and resources.  To visit click here. 

World Trade Center Survivors' Network
The Survivors' Network seeks to provide a forum for personal contact between survivors as a means to empower them to both deal with the circumstances of the aftermath of the attacks and to find renewed purpose in that aftermath. The Network also functions as a place for people to go and get survivors' perspectives and as a conduit for the common thoughts of survivors. On the organization's homepage, there are links to join two different Yahoo groups: Survivorsnet and the WTC Survivors. All of the files and meeting information for the organization are posted in both groups. Click here for more information. 

Career Breakthroughs
Career Breakthroughs is a career coaching program designed to serve individuals in the New York City Metropolitan Area, as well as individuals in Boston, Washington D.C, Shanksville, PA, or other U.S. regions as needed. The program serves 9/11-impacted individuals who are unemployed, severely underemployed, unable to sustain ongoing success in the workplace, or seeking to make a volunteer contribution to society. The program is led by Gene Gitelson, a former Vice President of the Chase Manhattan Bank and the former Managing Director of Lee Hecht Harrison, now the largest career services firm in the world. Read Gene's biography, including his work with the United Nations and other clients such as Major League Baseball and MTV. For more information on Career Breakthroughs, contact Gene directly at Ggitelson@aol.com or Career Breakthroughs Program Coordinator Michael Laputka at the Family Service League 973-746-0800 ext. 20 or via email at mlaputka@familyserviceleague.org.

Contact Us

 

Families of September 11 (FOS11) is a 501(c)(3) organization founded by families of those who died in the September 11 terrorist attacks. Membership is open to anyone affected by the events of September 11, 2001. More than 2,400 people worldwide have chosen to join us. Families of September 11 is an accredited charity and is a member of the Seal Program, which indicates that our organization has met the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability. For more information about the Standards, please visit the BBB of Metro New York's website at http://www.newyork.bbb.org/. Is this email going to your junk/bulk folder? Add info@familiesofseptember11.org to your address book to ensure that you receive all future mailings in your Inbox.