62 20 70359 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was in school, and I remember the principal announcing that every class turn on the T.V. He then went on to say that the 1st tower had been hit by a plane. Everyone was in total shock. I was watching the news, when all of a sudden my classmates and I saw the second plane hit. We were in complete shock. A few Air Force jets flew over our school, sending us into total panic. We all thought we were all going to be under attack. Some of us were crying, while others just sat and stared blankly at the television. This whole thing just seemed unreal. I called my parents and they came and got me from school. We spent the reat of the day praying and watching the news. RC Story: Response People in my community were very shaken by this tragic event. I helped local churches set-up special prayer services; and every morning some of my fellow peers and I would gather around the school's flag pole, join hands, and pray for America, and all the families that were suffering, and the victims of 9/11. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story25.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. anonymously Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-03-22 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.73.91.254 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was home on bedrest, pregnant with my first child who was due in 3 months. My mom called me and said a plane had hit the WTC. I assumed a small plane - an accident. I turned on CNN and couldn't believe what I saw. I stayed on the phone with my mom and we both watched the news and saw the second plane hit. Then the news came from the Pentagon, and then another plane down in Pennsylvania. I was horrified. I was afraid I would never see my precious little girl. There was little I could do - confined for the remainder of my pregnancy. My husband couldn't come home because of his position with the city - they had gone into high alert emergency mode. My mom couldn't drive, so she couldn't come to my house. I stayed on the phone all day with her - watching, listening, praying, crying. RC Story: Response I had been a disaster relief worker with the Red Cross, but obviously could not assist in my condition. Financial donation was all I could do - and pray, and grieve. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story28.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-04-08 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 209.214.176.102 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story It was the first week of my senior year in college. I was getting ready for my 9:35 class, and I had Fox and Friends on the Fox News Channel on because I was interning at FNC at that time. They were reporting that a plane had hit one of the towers. I immediately called my friend and asked if she knew what was going on. As we were talking, we saw the second plane hit, live on television. We immediately agreed to meet each other on the top of Hofstra's library. From that tenth floor, we had an amazing view of the NYC skyline. I have fond memories of my old dorm, on the 14th floor, with a spectacular view of the city. Now, a small crowd of us watch that skyline fill with smoke just some twenty miles away. Without knowing exactly what was going on, we split up and headed to class. But only a short time into class, a student ran out crying about a parent who worked in the WTC. That's when our professor was notified by his secretary that the Pentagon had been hit. He dismissed us all right away. From there, I went my main building, The School of Communication, where there were several TVs. That's when I first saw the towers collapse. The networks were replaying the video. All these students and teachers were staring at the monitors, in complete disbelief. After the towers fell, everyone's cellphone was out. I remember the landlines being plugged up with calls. My mom was trying to call me from home in Michigan. She was worried because she knew I had my internship in the city. As it was, I had plans to attend FNC's big five year anniversary near Battery Park on Thurs, Sept 13. That never happened. RC Story: Response Since I do not meet the physical requirements to donate blood, I helped my friends and fellow schoolmates who couldn't go home or who had missing loved ones. I stayed to comfort them and talk to them. Several of my close friends at the time were volunteer firemen with the Uniondale FD. I called to make sure they were OK. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story40.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-09-01 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.55.206.117 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story We lived in Washington state, and had to travel to Indiana to attend the funeral of my then-wife's grandmother. We were supposed to leave on September 12, but events of the day dictated otherwise. My watch was set on West Coast time, so my mother-in-law broke the news to us around 6:30, PDT (8:30 Central Time.) We just could not believe what was going on. When we heard that about the plane going down in Pennsylvania, I thought it was unrelated. When the South tower came down, I didn't know it, but seven people who I did business with became "missing." We were horribly gouged, and a lot of people were scared, but we also saw the best of America that day. In fact, my Boy Scout training kicked in that day when I was able to take stock of our situation, what resources we had, and so on. I'd hate to go through that again, but I am glad for my Boy Scout training which helped see us through. RC Story: Response I wanted to give blood, because I have a rare type (AB +), but the place was CROWDED! There were still lines when the place closed for the day. I cried, because it seemed that all of America turned out there in Terre Haute, people flying flags, volunteering to do rescue work in New York, and in general helping each other. I was proud to be an American that day, and have been since. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story20.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-01-18 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.95.4.118 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story As Minneapolis Area Chapter office was just opening, all present and those coming into the building gathered around the TV in the lunchroom in disbelief. It became evident that we would be affected as a chapter in the mid-west also we opened our EOC as a call-center just in time for a flood of calls from the public which went severyal days 24 hours and later for extended hours. A local TV affiliate set up a remote studio in our building with reporters doing interviews regularly with staff, volunteers, blood and financial donors, and with our volunteer mental health team members. RC Story: Response PERSONAL MEMORIES September 23, to October 14, 2001 Response to the 9/11/01 attack on the WORLD TRADE CENTER NEW YORK Robert N. Munson, MSW, LISW Director Emergency Services The American Red Cross sent me to New York City for a three-week assignment to help begin a response to grieving foreign nationals who had lost family members in the World Trade Center attack. The assignment was because I am a member of the International Family Linking On-call Team, a specialty group of the American Red Cross International Disaster Response Team, I wrote emails back to my family and the Minneapolis Red Cross as debriefing therapy for myself. My family and co-workers forwarded them to friends. Several have said that the emails also helped them better understand the depth of grief and the response in New York as I experienced it. 9/25/01 Family Assistance Center, Pier 94, NYC I work on Pier 94 which is the building in NYC where all families who have a missing relative need to come to access any and all services. To say that we have been busy since my arrival at the center on Monday AM is an understatement. Currently Red Cross Family Service in this building has a waiting list of 5 hours for families. We are in a giant pier warehouse building -- set up like a trade show with full carpet, poles with drapes, and some 75 agencies with all their staff and stuff service agencies, government, immigration, FBI, child care, etc. It is a comfortable building in order to be welcoming and calming as can be to the families. The City of New York has done a good job. It is a full city of people in this building -- with free meals for families and separate 3 meals a day for workers. The dining areas are nice (as they can be) -- donated fresh flowers daily, tablecloths, and an ambiance of peace and calm different from the noisy, bustling activity everywhere else. There are clients and workers everywhere. Lots of noise. People come here to access a broad array of services. Security is the tightest I have ever experienced anywhere. You can't get near the place without going through several barricades, body and bag checks -- and once in, all workers need to be separately badged daily even though we have permanent clearance badges. Clients, of course have ID, are escorted, and limited by lots of armed police and military to certain areas. Interestingly, several dogs around with handlers -- not sure if they are rescue dogs off duty or other "sniffers" and working dogs. Outside is where the "wall of photos is that you see on TV -- it is so moving that I avoid spending too much time passing by. Because of my work, I have access to all areas of the city including Ground Zero -- few people Red Cross have the "green badges" for this purpose -- however we may have client work in the area. Fortunately I have not yet been to Ground Zero yet -- fortunately because those who have come back deeply moved. I am not sure I am ready for that yet. Currently, the public cannot get near there. Coming from the airport, we saw other highways closed to the public with the dump trucks in parade taking away debris. They say it will go on for a long time. We have been very busy in International Services -- yesterday was 16 hours long -- so far we are only 6 people in NYC doing International -- 3 are caseworkers like myself who are dealing most closely with the families. So far I have worked with people from the four corners of the world who have lost family here -- and so far only with people living in USA. I speak a lot of Spanish during the day. A man, 20s, just walked in to talk with my co-worker -- he has a 10x12-color portrait of his brother hanging on his neck -- it is a heartbreaking sight -- we see this all day long. We start soon working with incoming international families. Tomorrow promises to be incredibly busy as they have said that they are going to begin issuing some 4,700 death certificates. That will begin a long process of people being able to access many other services, insurance, etc. I must go now. Another quick thought -- we have seen many celebrities come through -- all very encouraging to the workers and clients, and they have been very sensitive to the situation. I'll write when I can. Love, Bob 9/26/01 American Red Cross International Services It would be nice to let everyone know that hotels and the whole city is going way-out of their way to help the rescuers and the helpers including the American Red Cross. I understand that this hotel is providing lodging to Red Cross personnel at a small fraction of the rate they could normally get from business traffic. Of course, business is down, however this is a major in-kind gift to the Red Cross, and a wonderful emotional boost to us to have a pleasant place to stay after working with the families of NYC. I wrote a note of appreciation to the hotel manager and received back a voice mail of appreciation to me for being here! We have free bus and subway passes, and I hear that many restaurants automatically give big discounts (or in the case of Olive Garden free meals) to Red Cross if you show our official ID. I haven't had time to experience that generosity yet, but two of us did take a free bus back to the hotel after working until 11 p.m. We live only 6 long NYC blocks which is nice to walk in the day -- I did today. We started shifts today in International Services in that we have more workers (5 plus an evening local volunteer). I am on the 2 p.m. to midnight shift. It was good to sleep this a. m. -- and I did until 10 a.m. when the desk called requesting to move me. They apparently could rent the regular size room I have been in, and moved me to a bigger room for which they had less call. What a benefit for me! So far the most dramatic cases I have handled involve bringing parents from Ecuador here to be with their only surviving son; a family from Colombia bringing a mother here; a man from Cameroon trying to decide what to do about his parents back home; a new widow and her son who have British passports but whose husband worked in the WTC (World Trade Center), and several others with similar situations. Tomorrow I was to be transferred from this central Family Assistance Center to one of the 3 local Service Centers. However, it was decided that all of us would remain here for a few more days doing our consultation with the caseworkers on the phone -- although "my" service center is only about a 10 minute cab ride so I could go and see a client there also. The security was tougher today -- the crowds of family quite unbelievable -- every possible ethnic and economic group. The disaster affected a complete cross-section of society. Today was the beginning of the issuing of death certificates (or the beginning of that process in alphabetical order up through "D" I believe). There was much more open weeping everywhere you went today than before. Im OK working with individual families -- going through the crowds in the "halls" is difficult. I am glad that I am not working mental health -- they have a very difficult job. Several of the MN mental health workers are here. Duty calls -- need to go. Take care Love Bob 9/27/01 Of Bears, Dogs, and Flags on Pier 94 BEARS: The most macho of men, the smallest of children, people of all ages are warmly clutching teddy bears of various breeds. None are casually carried. They are everywhere. They are a "badge" designating a family member of a missing person as much as the paper stick-on badge on their clothing that proclaims: "FAMILY" to differentiate from similar badges which read "staff" and/or "volunteer". Each day we have a different color badge -- each day all of us stand in lines to be ID. Nobody nobody --gets beyond the single front entrance guarded by police and military, without proper identification. No cameras are allowed. All carry items are searched. Another kind of bear sits against the back wall. It is a wall, which, according to my pacing, is 200 feet long. The wall is covered with pictures of missing family members -- all with hand-written notations: "wearing green dress", "tattoo of eagle on shoulder", "last seen on floor 96 Tower One" . . . . (This wall is different than the one you see on TV -- that one is on the street in front of the building where the media gathers. This wall is inside -- protected from all but family members and people involved in the response.) On the floor like guardians of these precious "wanted posters" sit rows and rows of multi-breed teddy bears. All these bears were sent by the children and friends from Oklahoma City to their new brothers and sisters in NYC. I remember that I visited the Oklahoma Memorial only some 16 months ago at the Fifth Anniversary of that bombing, and how moving that was. The still hurting are comforting the newly hurting. Amongst the bears, there are lighted candles in glass holders and fresh flowers. The sight is amazingly peaceful given the bustle around. All is roped off -- family members are allowed to be at touching distance to the photos -- a rope keeps workers who are going about their business separated so the families can weep in peace. At night, I take a free bus for families and Pier 94 workers back to an area close to my hotel. On the way home we pass by NY Fire Department Station 47 -- it is evident that they lost several of their firefighters. The front is piled with flowers, and candles are everywhere. But the fire trucks are ready and waiting to be called out to the next incident. Many people are standing around quietly amongst the flowers. It is midnight. How can they go home when their dad or brother might be found tonight? DOGS: When last I wrote, I didn't know why there were so many dogs and handlers around -- I thought they had a protection mission in the building. Noting that many were fluffy and less-than-ferocious, I found out that they are all trained Therapy Dogs -- and their mission is comfort. They fill the mission well. I, too, have been encouraged by a lick on the hand. FLAGS: This place is huge. Several square blocks. All around the walls at the ceiling hang huge American Flags. In a way, this seems somewhat permanent, in a makeshift way -- in reality we will be people serving families here for a very long time. It is now 11:30 p.m. -- I just now have been asked to help bring a grandmother here from South America to participate in a funeral for a grandson whose body will undoubtedly never be found. The interview will be in Spanish. I will be here for a while. I am sure the family is more tired than I am. Love, Bob 9/28/01 Family Assistance Center, Pier 94, NYC FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTER - NYC Current operating hours are 8 a.m. to midnight. We all stand in lines with our own thoughts …waiting to get into the huge building on Pier 94. To get into the building, one crosses a highway, passes by the media area separated from us by portable iron fencing. We pass by the wall you have seen on TV with all of the photos of missing loved ones. Many such walls are all over NYC. Yellow ribbons are beginning to fill in all of the fencing. You wait in line while guards check credentials of workers and ID papers of family members. All bags are searched. Cameras are forbidden. I don't know what else they are looking for. I don't ask. You cross a small parking area which contains the WORLDCOM semi-trailer housing the banks of telephone from which family members can call world-wide for free. Also in this area the Salvation Army has a large canteen and snack tent. One enters the building -- family members in one door, workers through another. Family is greeted by uniformed guards who check papers again and pass them into a line to the Reception Desk at which they learn what services are available and where they are. They get a dated, colored badge reading "Family". Red Cross has a First Aid station there staffed by both nurses and physicians. They are stocked like a neighborhood drug store. Families then go to the service they want, and sit in large waiting areas for the next available government or agency worker. Red Cross Mental Health workers, Chaplains and Therapy Dogs wander throughout the building -- are all clearly marked as to who they are; even the dogs have their own picture ID. Workers enter another door, go to a table where every worker authorized to be in the building each day on a printed list. Those on the list get a different colored dated badge each day indicating what they do. We already also have photo ID indicating the service areas we are allowed to go. We then go to our workspaces. We have what we need even though everything is obviously temporary. I feel my presence here has made a difference to those in grief. I am fortunate to be able to come. There is a very large staff lunchroom, and a very large family lunchroom. All decorated with tablecloths and fresh flowers. Food is abundant and very good. Red Cross Mass Care workers are numerous and never let a serving plate go empty. I have heard the words multiple times while in line for security, but I always find joy when I see people hugging and saying "thank God you're alive -- I have been wondering about you". I am sure that some of the family members who are not as fortunate have other thoughts about those words. -- Bob 9/29/01 Midtown Manhattan, NYC After work last night, I walked the few blocks down to Times Square. I got off at 11:30 -- no international clients were waiting. The city area was packed with people -- unbelievable. One of my co-workers went to Phantom of the Opera AND Aida on her day off yesterday. $25 for one, and free for the other with ARC ID. Her Aida ticket was printed at $90. They are trying to keep shows open, of course, as well as keep the tourists coming here. Also, NYC is openly in love with the rescuers and responders. We are not suppose to show ID on the street (reporters and media bait), but we are told of several places that offer discounts. Subways and busses are all still free for Red Cross workers with ID. So far, I have only taken the subway once. I still don't know how they can put another person into Times Square -- I have been there mid-day and mid-night, and you can hardly walk through. My day off is Sunday, so perhaps I can see some Broadway show. It is 8:20 and I will soon go to dinner. Hagen Daz set up a full "parlor" here today for the workers. I had a waffle cone mid-afternoon. All food, snacks and beverages are free to us in our own huge dining area. The families have a similar area with the same things on the other side of the building. All served by the Red Cross volunteers -- I understand that most of the food is donated by restaurants or at a big discount. They are full meals which have been very, very good. I try to eat at a restaurant or Deli on my walk to work just to be alone and have what I want rather than what is being served at the Center. There are several others from Minnesota here, but I dont often see any of them because of our work locations and schedules. Love, Bob 9/30/01 Some of the People Passing Through .. . A young Mexican woman is here looking for her husband who worked as a waiter on the top floor of the WTC in the famous Windows of the World restaurant. He was the sole support of her, their three children, and an invalid brother in Mexico. I try to help her through the paper of death certificates, return of personal effects, and any other benefits to which she might be entitled. She is not ready. She still completely believes they will find her husband alive. It has now been 20 days. An older Japanese woman sits in front of me dressed in hat, tailored suit, hands folded on her lap, and eyes continually downcast from mine. She is completely stoical as the translator instantly changes my English into Japanese. Her only son worked for the company that lost some 700 of its employees. Her concern is with having something tangible of his to take back with her for the Buddhist memorial service that is scheduled on her return to Japan. The Red Cross will ship his personal belongings. She is very grateful. She stands and deeply bows to me. I bow respectfully in return. A man in his thirties and his wife speak to me in a heavy Polish accent. They have with them his father who has come to NYC from Poland yesterday. He will be here for a week to grieve with this couple, and his daughter-in-law the new widow of his only other son who worked at WTC. The woman before me comments that she is trying to help her sister-in-law as best she can. It is difficult in that the widow refuses to be with, or talk to the man sitting before me --her brother-in-law. With tears in his eyes, the man tells me that he and his deceased brother are identical twins. His sister-in-law cannot bear to look into his face or hear his voice at this time. Hopefully time will heal. One also wonders what it must be like for him to look in a mirror. We are requesting that the Polish Red Cross assist in putting the name of the deceased twin on the headstone of their mother who died just a month ago. My Spanish-speaking client from Ecuador has a running joke. When all this is over, he wants to come to visit me in Minnesota. He is now totally alone in this country perhaps knowing me has been a comfort. When one has family and friends, a familiar country and language, it is hard to image what is it like to have none of those things. Maybe the joke -- the fantasy -- of someday visiting Minnesota can pull him through. Through all the sadness - clients frequently express hope, faith, and the strength to rise above this pile of rubble, which has fallen on lower Manhattan. I feel honored to be with these people and so very grateful that I have something to offer them through the American Red Cross. A psychologist from St. Paul working in my area has just given me a laugh with his hand puppet he uses with children. Surprisingly, you hear frequent laughter on Pier 94. Life does go on. We shall all survive. -- Bob 10/30/01 Remembering The Fallen Interestingly, the work is invigorating rather than depressing while I'm here at the Family Assistance Center. I do, however debrief my mind when Im alone in the hotel, and have shed many tears thinking of those who have shared their stories with me during the day. Language is an interesting thing -- we have translators of nearly every imaginable language here, and all that I have met and used are wonderfully compassionate people. They often come back asking about clients we have shared -- if I know how they are, etc. My day off was Monday. I was going to St. Patrick's Cathedral to tour. Getting there, the street was blocked, police everywhere, and a huge fire truck sitting in front. I stopped to ask the police when I would be able to get inside. He asked if I were going to the memorial. It was evident that this was a service honoring a fireman who died at the WTC, so I said I would like to go in if permitted, and showed him my "get into everywhere" Red Cross ID. I was taken into the cathedral. Entering the door, I was literally, spiritually transported with the smells of the incense and candles mixed with the World Trade Center debris dust of the firemen around me -- still in their full rescue suits and boots. It was a funeral of one of their comrades. The cathedral could barely have held another ten people -- it was packed. The music and the ritual of the service -- including communion, which I took with the firemen -- was a real healing, experience for me. Afterwards the body was taken to the fire truck for a procession of firemen walking behind down the Avenue of the Americas and some of the best known real estate in the world. It was a memorable experience. --Love, Bob 1/04/01 Visitors to Pier 94, NYC The seven (total) of us in International have two small work tables and two computers in an Admin space, and two counseling tables in the counseling areas which are several large draped areas with multiple tables in each. Privacy amounts to talking softly. We are quite cozy with each other most of the time. Perhaps have not mentioned to you that there is quite a parade of notables through here- Madeline Albright and I chatted, Elton John autographed and kissed the cheeks of my female co-workers, much of US Congress has been here. I hear lots of sports stars and Broadway performers I don't know have also been through. But then this is NYC and mid-town Manhattan. Mostly you know them by the escorts and "visitor" badges verses the "staff" or "volunteer" badges we wear. They come to be helpful and supportive. I guess they are to many people. As you know, however, work goes on no matter who is coming through. We were told, however, that if President Bush came through today (he was in NY) that work would pretty much stop -- he didn't come. You know the enormous Navy Hospital ship "Comfort"? It was berthed here right at our pier until Sunday when it pulled out. All painted white with big red crosses on it was very impressive. Most people thought it was our Red Cross organization ship rather than a hospital ship -- I didn't use it as a teachable moment -- I was too proud of seeing such an impressive floating facility with the red crosses so big on it. --Bob 10/6/01 Two Weeks on the Job Makes a Difference I have been here now for two weeks, and I am getting used to many things: the routine of hotel living, lots of walking on the streets of NY, the venders everywhere with multiple types of patriotic goods to sell, the very bright lights of Times Square, the horse & carriage; the mounted patrols, the police and security everywhere, seeing all the theaters, famous concert halls and stores, passing hot-dog and pretzel venders on almost every corner, the noise, the honking, dodging the taxis, the crowds of people. One thing I'll not miss when I return is the noise of the garbage trucks all night long -- even from my 8th floor room they are very loud every night. I see many Minnesotans and many comment on how well represented our state is. Since Red Cross Disaster Mental Health for the Family Assistance Center is based out of my same office area, I see several Minnesotans working in that function. I hear of many others who are here -- but this is a very, very big Red Cross response in many parts of the city -- so seeing people you know is completely coincidental. The other side of my two weeks here is seeing the issues of the clients. Recently we have been seeing more repeat clients -- especially those with multiple problems or complicated issues. This is interesting, however it different than the former parade of new people whom I interviewed previously. For example, I have worked now with four clients needing psychiatric evaluations. The psychiatrists have been wonderful, thorough, and impressive with their follow-up with me. The issues have been when "normal" depression crosses the line -- especially regarding sleep and appetite disorders. Grief can be a very debilitating emotion. Enough for tonight. I am looking forward to my midnight walk to the hotel for some exercise. This has been a day of sitting down -- and the dinner tonight at the ARC dining hall was particularly "comfort food". Bob 10/07/01 On The Sidewalks of New York Hi -- rainy here this morning -- I didn't use my umbrella because of the wind. Anyway it was still a good walk to the Pier. I am getting lots of exercise walking. Even going at midnight is not so bad -- there usually are several people in each block walking their dogs. The closer you get to Broadway and Fifth Avenue, the more police are on every corner, so they are the ones you have to walk through or around. I am a couple of blocks from Central Park at Columbus Circle, so last night I walked along the Central Park Drive past all the big hotels that face Central Park. Even at 12:30 a.m. it was populated and many of the horse & carriage drivers were taking their fares through the area or waiting to be hired. Monday should be interesting in my hotel area since we are at Columbus Circle -- NYC has a big parade, and I would ASSUME it would at least go by the statues and fountains of Columbus Circle. No matter, I will be working. I also walked up Fifth Avenue for a few blocks before turning on 56th to my hotel. Many famous stores -- but I haven't seen Tiffany's yet. They will be changing the hours of the Center from 8 to 8 starting Sunday. Things are not quite as hectic or crowded, but there are still thousands of people through here daily. The mayor was here tonight, but I missed him. I usually hear about celebrity visits long after they are gone. Oddly, I have not seen a single therapy dog today -- I miss them. I hear they take them along on the excursion boats that go to the observation platform at Ground Zero reserved for family members. The boats leave from here up to three times per day. I am sure that it is a very sad trip. I am hoping that the change in hours will allow me to take advantage of the beautiful health club in the hotel. They also have a rooftop swim pool. I have used neither in that they close at 11:00 p.m. They open 6:00 a.m., however I sleep as late as I can. I have had lunch twice now at the deli that David Letterman often has on camera during his show -- it is right next to the Ed Sullivan Theater where Letterman performs -- it is about 3 blocks from my hotel. Love, Bob 10/10/01 Ground Zero Former Site of the World Trade Center Yesterday I took the subway down to Ground Zero -- the former World Trade Center. This was the first day that I felt I could do it -- I knew that I wanted to see what this was really all about, yet because of all the families and their stories, I could not buck up emotionally to actually go there. I woke up early yesterday, sat up in bed, and said to myself -- this is the day. I quickly dressed as I knew I only had about four hours before reporting to work with the clients. I took the subway south. It wasn't what I had expected. We have seen it all on TV so much -- daily, and almost unrelentingly. It was worse. TV does not portray the reality. I arrived at the fence laden with flowers, pictures, gifts, and letters. People were silently looking at it all, taking some pictures, but mostly just quiet. We are many blocks away at this point. I approached the numerous policemen. I inquired how they were doing: "fine". They checked my Red Cross ID with the green band reading "Full Access & Ground Zero", and opened a gate letting me pass. I did, and walked all alone down the middle of what normally would have been a busy NYC street. Everything was damaged, windows broken; buildings draped in enormous tarps. I could not tell what I was really looking at -- I needed to ask the next policeman exactly where the WTC was -- he pointed ahead several more blocks. The further I went, the worse it got. Finally I saw the smoke, smelled the smells, and walked in the mud. Actually being there was different. I felt sick to my stomach -- tears welled up in my eyes. This is not just a damaged building it is an unconsecrated burial mound. The smoke is still coming out of the hole -- the huge cranes move slowly. The trucks come out laden with debris and need to go through a decontamination spray before getting onto the streets. I could only go within a couple of blocks without obviously getting in the way. It was close enough for me. I went to the nearby Respite Center where all of the rescuers can go for coffee, to sit down, receive informal counseling, rest, and food. Red Cross volunteers were there managing all the needs of the workers. Salvation Army was across the street also helping countless numbers of people. There were so many trucks -- there were so many men dressed in heavy protective gear. Everyone was working -- few standing around. I spoke to some of the police, with Red Cross volunteers, and stood aside as the workmen headed to the relative comforts of the Respite Center. I turned and left. Again, my throat closed and I felt I could hardly breathe, but I kept walking north -- away from that war zone. I took the subway back to my workplace and the families waiting for me. I have even a deeper appreciation of my clients, their stories, and a strong knowledge, and belief of why I am here. Soon I will be home. This memory will live on. -- Bob 10/11/01 Transition Suddenly I am faced with the normal mixed feeling -- I will be leaving here. No, I knew this all along -- after all; I have had my return ticket along with my ticket here. Still, one gets caught up in the work to do, the work done, and now during a transition time, the work still undone. Mostly I want to go home -- get back into the routine of home and work. But another part of me sees the seemly unending line of people coming to the Family Assistance Center with problems that need to be resolved. In these three short weeks, I have learned how to resolve, or alleviate some of their problems. I wish I could help more of them. I am grateful, however, for the talent of the Red Cross people who are coming in to replace us one-by-one. I work at giving them orientation -- but I also know that I can never prepare them for all the things they will see and hear and all the emotions they will feel. Working for the Red Cross relief effort here has been a wonderful, growing experience for me. It is similar to what I recall I have often said about my Peace Corps work so many years ago -- it was on the list as one of the best things that I ever did, but I dont know if I would be able do it twice in one lifetime. Today I have helped ship clothing and personal effects of a deceased man in his twenties back to his parents in Peru. He died at WTC on his birthday. You wonder if his co-workers had a card for him on his desk in the morning. Today I dealt with the psychiatric needs of a woman from the Dominican Republic who is unable to care for her children out of grief at the loss of her spouse. We will be bringing her parents over to care for her and the children; our Integrated Care Team has already assigned a nurse and mental health worker to be with her as necessary in her home. Today I worked with two young men -- Ecuador and Colombia -- both of whom have multiple problems living in the USA which preceded the violent deaths of their respective only brothers. I work with their individual problems. Both have very limited English both have similar life problems, both have current tragedies with which they can barely cope. By chance I am able to introduce them to each other. They go off to have dinner at the Red Cross family dining center. Maybe the next hour will be more pleasant for them. The day passes. I hope my replacement, a young woman who has been working in El Salvador for the International Services of the American Red Cross, will have as rich and rewarding experience as I have had. On the next day, I am in the process of turning over my work for the past 3 weeks to my replacement. As the day progresses, I am surprised three times. My young clients from Ecuador and Colombia come separately to see me, and tell me that their short-term plans have been confirmed and to thank me for sticking with each of them during their worst times. Additionally, my older client from Argentina comes to tell me that his ticket home has been confirmed and he leaves the next day and he thanks me for helping make this possible. As two of these men needed psychiatric interventions for depression during the time I knew them, I was particularly pleased that their lives seemed to be better. It was evident to me on this day with these three men that although there was much work to be done here, some of my work had been accomplished I can now transition back home for a while. My vivid memories of this experience with the World Trade Center international families will be with me for a very long time. See you in Minneapolis soon. -Bob --end-- RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee yes Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story14.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-10-27 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 24.123.125.147 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I woke up to radio news reports of the planes crashing into the World Trade Center. I immediately turned on the television and was greeted by the image of the South Tower collapsing in living color on CNN. I called in to my American Red Cross chapter, the Oregon Trail Chapter in Portland, Oregon, where I am both a local disaster responder and a national disaster responder specializing in Public Affairs. I reported to our disaster human resources coordinator that I would be available to respond. I went back to watching the news, and saw Tower 1 collapse a few minutes later. RC Story: Response Shortly after calling in to the chapter, I received a call back from our Public Affairs Manager asking me to report to the chapter and assist with our local media response. I did so and spent most of the next 10 days working on news media contacts, talking to Red Cross Public Affairs responders already on the ground in New York and at the Pentagon, photographing related events at the chapter such as donor check presentations, assisting with VIP visits, and also assisting the Public Affairs staff at the regional Blood Services center, which shared our building. While assisting on local activities, I remained on call to respond nationally. I "got the call" Sep. 20 to respond to the disaster relief operation at the Pentagon, and departed Sep. 21. I spent the next week on site at the Pentagon, photographing the recovery and relief activities, supporting public functions in the Washington, D.C. area, responding to media inquiries and requests, and creating media products such as the operation newsletter. On Sep. 27, I was notified that I would be going to New York City the following day. After closing out my task at the Pentagon, I took a train to New York and reported in to the headquarters there. For the next two weeks, I worked at our operation headquarters in Brooklyn and at several Red Cross relief sites in lower Manhattan close to the World Trade Center site, including Service Centers 1 and 2 and Respite Centers 1 and 3. I also spent time working at the city's Family Assistance Center at Pier 94, as well as the Joint Information Center at the FEMA field headquarters. One of my most significant memories of this period was supporting the activities in Respite Centers 1 and three, which assistied the thousands of rescue and recovery workers clearing the World Trade Center site. I photographed the activities there, and provided information to our clients on the available services we offered. I was struck by the care and concern shown toward them, even in little touches such as placing chocolates and teddy bears on the cots in the sleeping areas were they could go to get a few hours rest. During the first weekend in October, I also participated in the activities of the "Flight For Freedom", a group of nearly 1,000 fellow Oregonians who traveled to New York City in a show of fellowship and solidarity. During their stay, I attended their rally at Union Square, led a group of them to lower Manhattan to see some of our relief sites and to visit "Ground Zero", did a news segment with a film crew from the Portland CBS affiliate, and marched with them up 5th Avenue in the city's annual Columbus Day parade. I also vividly remember Oct. 11, when I was asked to photograph activities at our newest Respite Center, #3, which had opened a few days previously. To get to the site, you had to walk down West Street from Respite 1, right past the debris pile that had been the two WTC towers. To be right up there as close as 50 feet from what was both a crime scene and a massive tomb, with hundreds of relief workers busily working around me, was at once both awe-inspiring and sobering, especially after I saw the "cross", a twisted, jagged piece of structural steel in the shape of a cross, that relief crews had excavated from the rubble and placed on a concrete pedestal along the street as a sign of inspiration. And to experience this on what was my 49th birthday... Returning to Portland Oct. 13, I continued to respond locally and, as a disaster services course instructor in Public Affairs, began to incorporate some of the early lessons learned into my cousre material. Since the response in New York City was then and still is an ongoing effort, I decided to go back for a second assignment. I traveled to New York City Dec. 10 and spent the next 18 days again supporting our Public Affairs efforts. Since this was during the holiday season, I had the opportunity to experience Christmas in New York while helping our thousands of clients and responders. On one of my days off, I visited a New York Fire Department station near Times Square that had lost a firefighter on Sep. 11 who had the same name as me. I thought this was important for me to do so since I am also a volunteer firefighter. I talked to some of his brother firefighters, and placed several items on the memorial that they had placed at the station. One of the my most significant memories from this assignment took place on Christmas Eve. We had closed our service centers early that day because a local organization was providing a Christmas party for our responders. I had stopped in at one of our service centers in lower Manhattan to check on our Public Affairs responder there, and encountered a client who was running late and arrived too late to see a caseworker. She had had some difficulties redeeming the assistance vouchers we had provided her, and had returned to get the problem resolved. The vouchers were important to her because she needed to take them to her market and get groceries, including Christmas dinner for her family. I could not, in good conscience, let her leave without help, so I pulled out my wallet and handed her my remaining $25 in cash to ensure that she could at least have dinner for her family. She hugged me and said "God bless you" as we both left the building, and I could feel the tears in my eyes as I headed uptown for our party. Since my return home to Portland Dec. 28, I continued to incorporate my lessons learned into my instructor materials and into my local response activities. I archived the photographs that I took for the Red Cross while on assignment there, and have since provided them to the Red Cross Sept. 11 Recovery Program, where they are now part of their permanent archive. RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story24.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-02-20 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.189.99.42 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story When 9/11/01 happened I remember my mind flashed back to WWII when I was a volunteer with the USO in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Therefore, I went to the USO every Tuesday afternoon to volunteer in downtown San Diego. RC Story: Response RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story10.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-10-02 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.168.76.62 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I work at NBC in Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan. On September 11, 2001, I arrived at 8:00 am to prepare graphics for the Rosie O'Donnell Show, which taped at 10:00 am. It began like any other morning... An associate producer came in and gave me a list and materials for graphics that were needed for that morning's taping. I liked to work with the TV off in the morning. I didn't know what had just happened when the producer ran into my room just before 9 am and asked me if I saw what had just happened. "No, what?" "A plane just crashed into the World Trade Center!" he shouted. I don't recall what I said next, but I do remember jumping up and turning on the TV. Then I saw... the North Tower, burning. I didn't wait for him to say anything else. "I need to go!" I shouted, as I ran toward the hallway. Maybe they needed help with graphics for news coverage... No one knew what to do... there was nothing we could do. We all just looked at our TVs in horror. As I sat down at a computer, I heard someone scream that another plane had just crashed into the other tower. Until that moment, we thought that it might have been an accident. Now we knew the horrible truth. After the plane hit the Pentagon, we heard about the hijacked plane in flight over Pennsylvania. While I was listening to my boss give instructions, there was an announcement from the Rockefeller Center security department over the building P.A. system. We were instructed to evacuate the building. I wasted no time in doing exactly that. I exited 30 Rockefeller Plaza. This landmark building is on 50th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues... a mile or two north of the Wor;d Trade Center. I walked over to Fifth Avenue and looked south straight down Fifth Avenue. I could see the Twin Towers, both billowing thick, black smoke. I remember thinking, "I know that this is real... but I can't believe that I am really seeing this..." As I continued to watch, I knew that this was the worst thing, the saddest thing that I had ever witnessed. I felt such a sadness... knowing that as I stood there, watching this from a distance, that a few miles south, unthinkable horror was underway at that very moment... I walked to a pay phone a called the office upstairs. It was still before 10:00 am. Were we expected to re-enter the building? I wondered. I was told that this was optional. With the U.S. being attacked, hijacked planes being crashed into buildings, there was NO WAY that I was about to go back into 30 Rockefeller Plaza, I decided. I had been told that all bridges and tunnels into and out of New York City were closed down, as were train and bus stations. Maybe I can get home to New Jersey by boat, I thought. So along with a co-worker who also lives in NJ, I began walking west, toward the Hudson River. As we walked toward the river, we passed a McDonald's. I suggested that it could be many hours before we had a chance to eat... So I found myself in McDonald's, eating a Quarter Pounder, as thousands of innocent people died, as the Twin Towers collapsed a few miles away. "The Twin Towers have collapsed..." I heard on a TV that was on in the restaurant. It didn't register. Everything was surreal. We left, and continued toward the river. I headed toward a ferry terminal a few blocks south. There I joined an orderly, hushed line of people. We boarded ferries... no need for tickets... After the boat was loaded, it left the dock and began the short trip across the river. When it got halfway across the river, lower Manhattan came into view. There, where the World Trade Center was supposed to be, was instead a huge, billowing plume of thick black smoke. RC Story: Response Went to give blood. Sadly, they didn't need it. Donated money to relief efforts in NY. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story35.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. anonymously Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-07-10 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 141.150.76.206 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story Dear Family and Friends, Home, sweet home! Arrived home last Thursday evening from NYC after a 3 week assignment volunteering for the Am. Red Cross. My job was to interview families, friends and acquaintances of ”missing” or identified people who died Sept. 11. I also interviewed the families of passengers of those ill-fated flights, those who were injured fleeing for their lives and the “suddenly unemployed”. I was assigned to “Pier 94”, a 100,000 sq. foot massive structure, all on one level on the same body of water as is the Statue of Liberty. You may have, or will hear of it in the news because that is where all the major agencies as well as the Am. Red Cross locate themselves. It is also from Pier 94 that families are escorted by boat to “Ground Zero” for closure. They, the families and friends of loved ones “lost” or “missing”, congregate in a special room called “the staging” area. It is there they receive or choose a bouquet of flowers if they already hadn’t brought some, and a teddy bear. They will be “briefed” as to what to expect. Accompanying them are a support team consisting of Red Cross Mental Health and Red Cross representatives of various religions. They are all escorted by uniformed and armed State Troopers. All board a double-decker boat which takes about 30 minutes to dock near Battery Park, within walking distance of “Ground Zero”. They walk, wearing their hard hats and goggles to the site. Face masks are available. Soldiers stand at attention saluting until all pass thru the boundary gates, climb up some stairs to an observation area. It is from here that those who lost loved ones have the opportunity to gaze across all the destruction, cranes, bulldozers, smokey areas and workers to say their last goodbyes. Many are weeping, others clutch themselves or each other, and almost everyone is dabbing tissues at their eyes. It’s awesome and terribly sad. After 15 minutes or so, they turn to go to a makeshift memorial. No one is talking. It’s quiet except for the sounds of recovery taking place at “Ground Zero”. Families and friends leave a picture, a note or letter, a teddy bear, a candle, or some special momento and flowers on the huge collection of all that has been left my others before them. They are allowed a few moments there. They return to the boat. It is quiet. No one is talking or making eye contact. Oct. 11th. My first day reporting to Pier 94. I sure wasn’t prepared for what I was to experience that first hour. All along the perimeter were pictures, yellow ribbons and letters along with flowers and stuffed animals displayed on the boundary wall. Written words such as “Have you seen....” or “missing” or personal notes from children to their missing parent or parents, or brothers looking for sisters, or sisters searching for brothers, or friends asking for information etc. On an on. Overwhelming! Then a gauntlet of 3 check points. I had to open by backpack and butt bag and show my ID and Red Cross Badge at the first check point. 2nd check point, show again my badge and ID as well at the check-in table where my name would be cleared for entry. German shepherds everywhere. Well-behaved, but everywhere. Armed military, police, state troopers, NYPD Community personnel, SWAT Teams and others from neighboring states. Every day another kind of uniform I hadn’t seen the day before. My first day inside, I was given a tour. There were huge areas marked off with red and blue carpeting. The red areas were areas marked off due to the kind of assignment they had. DNA testing was done there and death certificates were given. Also, there were many booths marked “Legal” for legal counselling. I was taken along the right side of the building where there was a cafeteria serving families and friends only. It was clearly marked that no videos and cameras would be allowed. Also, there were childcare and child counselling provided for those families or friends who wanted to take advantage of it. This was provided by a national religious group; Church of the Brethen, I believe. I heard nothing but good about the service they provide. I then continued down one side of the far wall which was massive and long. There was no standard ceiling. Like a huge open facility, a kind of wharf type of building exposing metal high beams. This particular wall was covered with more letters, cards and notes with heart wrenching messages. Hundreds of teddybears arrived from Oklahoma City and placed along the wall on the floor continuing down the huge corridor of the building. It was stated that they were a gift from those who lost loved ones in the Oklahoma bombing. After passing various areas partitioned off for the agencies represented there, I came to my side of this huge structure where I would spend my next 3 weeks anywhere from 10 to 12 hours a day, with one day off every 7th day. I worked in the “annex” a special private area dedicated for families and friends of the “lost or missing”. It was quieter there, more private. However, there were hours when I wouldn’t have a family or friend of a missing person, and I would go to the huge pool of people and be assigned an individual next on the list. The stories of “fleeing for their lives” or of seeing horrors took up time even before I could begin the paperwork required to open a Red Cross Case. But it usually went that way. And that was OK. I wasn’t required to meet a quota. I would be introduced to my next client and would ask them to follow me to my desk. Forget the usual openers ie “and how are you today?’” kinds of greetings. Not appropriate. I’d ask if they waited long. They usually did. Then I’d ask them if they’d like to use the restrooms, would like a coffee, had they eaten, did they have children at the care center and would they like to check in on them before we started? Many were not aware of the free cafeteria. Local chefs would come in and prepare really nice food for the families and those all affected by the disaster and for the Staff Cafeteria on the opposite side of the structure. It had huge family style table clothed covered tables with fresh flowers every day. There was also a huge bank of telephones at tables and thru out this huge building for anyone to make a call anywhere in the world FREE of charge and NO time limits. Incredible! Each day I walked to Pier 94 from my hotel on 57th & 7th. It was a pleasant walk, especially since it was autumn, an Indian summer as they say, no rain. I’d get my coffee across from my hotel and walk the 20-25 minutes to the Pier. I’d drink my coffee and mentally prepare myself for the long day ahead. I would arrive at Pier 94 by 7:10AM in time for my 7:30 briefing. Then by 8:30 I would have already had breakfast and ready to begin. I can’t go into the individual cases I had. It would take pages and pages. My function was a tech in Family Service. I processed families and friends of missing people by opening an ARC (Am Red Cross) 901 file. Then with my supervisor’s assistance, we would prepare the ”Cash gift” paperwork as well as addressing immediate financial needs. This would sometimes take 2-3 hours and could be very emotional for the families. Wives of fireman were escorted by 2 firemen from her husband’s battalion. They would do most of the talking and the giving of paperwork, ie death certificate, bills, mortgage and loan papers etc. One department was so pleased with the way I handled the whole interview, that they came back and handed me the NYC FireDepartment badge they all have sewn on their uniforms. I was so touched and honored. My supervisors were fantastic! They made me look great! I learned so much. I interviewed many families and people; sons of fathers who died, brothers of brothers who died, wives of husbands who died, lovers, sisters, Aunts, nephews, uncles, fiances, friends grieving their loss and all other combinations of relationships. The injured were a whole other story. Their nightmare continues. The horrors they saw while fleeing for their lives. One woman I interviewed lost her front teeth and fractured her tibia as well as losing her job. Another saw an airplane part plummeting to earth and causing grave injury to another, and others told me of the sight of people and paper in the air. They could only shake their heads in disbelief and downcast their eyes. Do you wonder how I managed? Me too. I’m just now beginning to process and integrate the whole experience. I cry more easily these days and I thought writing this would be good. And of course I have Eric (my husband), my family and friends. LIfe feels a bit changed for me. It’s for the better, but just how it’s changed in the long run I can’t say for sure. I know my priorities have shifted. I notice things, colors, and people’s faces more than before. I take time now. Slower now. Quality time and my loved ones and friends. The day before the Memorial to be held Sunday 10/28, I came into Pier 94 thru another door. They were preparing the area where staff usually enters for the arrival of the urns to be distributed to all those they were expecting the following day for the Memorial Service. While I was eating breakfast, I heard the sound of bagpipes and trumpets. I walked to the area where they were playing. Hearses were arriving one after another and wheeled carts ladened with cardboard boxes holding smaller boxes containing wooden urns holding “cleaned soil” from “Ground Zero” were being wheeled past soldiers, firemen and police officers standing at attention and saluting while these loaded carts where wheeled past. The sound of all those bagpipe players was overwhelming! Representatives of the various agencies, FEMA, Crime Justice Board, NYFD, NYPD, FBI etc, you name it, was there chosen to escort the ladened carts past all of us onlookers. This went on for about 2 hours. Between the time a cart was rolled past and before another was rolled in, personnel was commanded to be “at ease”. As soon as another load of cartons entered the building, either the bagpipe players or trumpeters would play and uniformed personnel snapped into position either saluting or holding their hand over their hearts, as we onlookers did. It was all so solemn. The following day, I returned to Pier 94 dressed in black slacks and white shirt. I was given a purple sash to wear across my torso and my job would be to hand out an urn to each person who presented a card to me clarifying who it was they “lost”. We all did this with partners and each had a curtained private area with a white tablecloth with a small vase of flowers and a box of kleenex. The urns were stacked behind us along with the military folded American flags. Families were then escorted to available tables whereupon I would request the card and ask them to sign it. My partner choose an urn which was inside a box. The box was almost black about 10” high. The urn inside was made of mahagony wrapped in a dark purple drawstringed sack made of velvet. I would then say “On behalf of the citizens of NYC and the United States of America, please accept this urn and our condolences in memory of the loss of your loved one”, then we would also hand over the folded American flag the proper way we were showed to do. Qivering lips, tearing eyes, the gripping of hands for support, the bent head, the raised head for some and other assorted body postures were the order of the day. My voice cracked when a child reached up for the flag in memory of his Dad. So young and yet strong for his years. Another two, a woman and her daughter receiving the urn and flag for the woman’s son, her daughter’s brother. Both incredibly shaken, gripping each other for support hardly able to utter “thank you” or whatever words I thought they were trying to say as they hurried away. We handed out urns starting 3:00 until 7PM. A very emotionally draining day. I’m home now, but things are different. This assignment changed me I know. Just how I can’t quite say. But it’s good. That I know. I wanted to share my incredible experience with you. I felt extremely privileged to do what I had the opportunity to do. I did my best and I gave my all. Some of those faces I’ll never forget nor their stories. I am grateful and thankful for the little I could do. I hope it helped. For most I’m sure it did. I will never ever forget those 3 weeks that changed my life. Thanks for listening. I appreciate you all and thank you for your love, support and friendship. RC Story: Response RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story11.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-10-02 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.168.76.62 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was interviewing for a job with the Girl Scouts and was speaking with the executive director of the NE area. During the interview, we heard crying and screaming from people in the offices next to us. A women came to the door and screamed that we (the US) were under attack. She said they were bombing the White House and New York City. The interviewer immediately stopped the interview and explained that she was an officer in the Army and needed to report to her supervisors. The next thing I remember was leaving in bewilderment and listening to NPR trying to understand everything that was happening. I went directly to a hotel lobby and asked them to turn on the tv. That is when we saw the two towers in smoke. People started gathering and we all stood quietly, watching. No one moved until the first tower fell. Then most of us screamed at the television and at the reality of it all. RC Story: Response I waited in line to give blood. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story22.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-01-28 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 128.227.50.254 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story Tuesday, September 11th was the scheduled monthly faculty meeting for Empire State College's Hudson Valley Center at the Middletown office. News of the first plane crash into the WTC came as faculty were arriving and we were immediately thrown into a state of shock, confusion, alarm, and fear for others who might be working close to the site. (My own spouse was in Arlinton VA, just a few miles from the Pentagon, and heard the thunder of that hit from his office, as I later learned). We made efforts to locate a radio and turned to Internet news sites in an effort to understand what was happening. While much remained unknown, clearly we could not proceed with business as usual, and we began dispersing. Having moved ahead of my spouse to New York, I was particularly at loose ends, without the comfort of family. RC Story: Response After watching the images on TV for awhile, I could no longer remain in my apartment, and I made my way to the local Red Cross program in Goshen, where lists of medical and mental health volunteers and supplies were being assembled. I was told that two buses would leave later in the afternoon for the Red Cross Headquarters in NYC, so I went home to throw a few things into a bag and pick up my social work and mental health Red Cross training credentials. Two school buses filled with nurses, EMT's, and others left for NYC shortly before 6 PM. One nurse handed me some latex gloves. We all wore Red Cross ID's on cords around our necks, which were checked against our drivers licenses at different checkpoints along the one hour ride. As we neared the George Washington bridge, police came aboard our bus armed with shotguns for another check. People were streaming on foot across the Bridge from Manhattan to New Jersey, while only a few vehicles were allowed to go from New Jersey into the City. Against the slanting rays of the descending sun, I looked south from the Bridge and saw, and smelled, vast billows of dark gray smoke rising from lower Manhattan. The smell is what has stayed with me. Confusion reigned at Red Cross headquarters, where every call for personnel was quickly filled by volunteers who kept coming and coming. Though I had been taught that the first 48 hours of any disaster are particularly chaotic until assessments can determine what is needed and where, the sheer magnitude of the WTC attack overwhelmed any previously existing processes or systems for response. I remember mobs of people rushing forward every time a request was put forth, such as for hotline duty, or ERV trips to Ground Zero. I was assigned along with four other mental health volunteers to go to Curtis High School on Staten Island where teens from several lower Manhattan high schools had been evacuated earlier on ferries. It took us several hours to arrive, far longer than usual, because the car directions had us crossing into Brooklyn through the Battery Tunnel, and all tunnels had been closed. We made a number of U-turns when police blockades prevented us from proceeding, and we got lost in Brooklyn at one point. Finally, we were allowed to cross the Verranzano Bridge to Staten Island after convincing NYPD officers that we were on a Red Cross assignment. One officer told us "take care" and "God bless." Arriving late at the high school, most of the students were asleep on makeshift pallets, the girls in the cafeteria, the boys in the gym. The following morning, after a sleepless night, we made our way among the youngsters, talking of their experience on the previous day, the images in their minds, their fears. One handsome young man, a recent arrival from the Congo, told me that his family had "come to America to be safe." By midday, after every student's family members were contacted, we all boarded buses and were escorted by police caravan-fashion along wide open, traffic-less avenues back into the City where the teens were dropped at strategic points close to their homes. The smell of fire and fumes filled an otherwise sunny, blue sky. RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story46.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2005-04-02 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 67.82.21.148 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was in U.S. history class, and it was my junior year of high school. We were just finishing with class when we heard the news about the first plane hitting the tower. We turned on the t.v. and stood there looking at the tower with the smoke billowing out. Then the worst happened. We were getting ready to leave, and i remember this eary moment like it was yesterday, i saw a plane enter into the screen and crash into the other tower, shaking the camera. There was no words coming from the t.v. nor the class room as we all watched in horror. I remember walking around all day wondering what i could do, and finally decided to donate blood for the first time. Now, i'm a freshman at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, and enrolled as a history major, speciffically a U.S. history major. I don't want anyone to ever forget september 11, god knows i won't. RC Story: Response As soon as i realized that my blood could help, i donated as much blood as possible in the months after. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story13.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-10-16 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 129.89.106.186 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I had just turned on the tv and heard the horrified voices of the newscasters and as my husband came down the stairs then the second plane hit the second tower. We spent the whole day watching the news and following the story. It was unbelievable and so hard to imagine what was going on. Wondering if and when and where these people would strike again. RC Story: Response As I am a volunteer with the local Red Cross chapter and a memeber of the DSHR I knew that with the magnitude of this I would be called to respond so I began preparing a suitcase so that I would be ready when the call came. It took two days to get arrangements made to get there, changes, etc. then I had to overnight in PA before arriving in NY on Sat. I was in NY on assignment thru the 8th of Oct. I hope that I never have to respond to a disaster of this magnitude again! It was such an overwhelming experience for all of us that were on assignment. I was proud to have been able to help. RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story23.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-02-17 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 206.228.148.22 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I woke up to my roommate screaming that New York had been bombed and that we were next. I was thinking, no, that is not possible. I then turned on the T.V and saw the second plane hit the tower, i was in shock. I screamed, i have friends in there. I did not know what to do. I called my parents and other friends and family. I tried to call New York, but the phone lines were jamed. I was like, i have lost three best friends in one day, this is not good. After two long days of not knowing if my friends were alive or not, i found out that two were and one was missiing. I cried for her and for everyone else that was lost that day. To this day, her family and i still do not have a body to lay to rest. Just two limbs of her were found. Saying goodbye to that was not the same as a body, i guess i do not have the closure that i thought i would. Her famimly laid her to rest in Colorado, were we grew up for three years together. It was the worst month of my life. Every day i miss her, but i relized that she did not suffer becasue she was on the floor where the plane hit. I will never get to hear her laugh, cry of just joke anymore. At least i know she is another angel watching over me and her family along with all the other Sept 11 vitums. I truly miss you Julie. I know you are watching me. RC Story: Response I responded by holding a candle light visual at my college and then orginzing a food drive to send to New York and Washington. I went to a church where they holding a visual for all the police, fire and paradimics in Lincoln IL, and hugged as many as i could and thanked them for the work they do. I helped me friends school send blankets, teddy bears and bandanas for the children and firemen out in New York going though the rubble. It was a wonderful feeling knowing that i could help make a difference. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story29.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. anonymously Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-04-21 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 209.174.133.69 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story An e-mail chronicle from the two weeks following 9/11 Tue's. Sept 11th 2001 Sorry you were so worried. I was not able to call you there , as a lot of phones were out. and I would get a very fast busy signal.. I did get through to Mom, and she called Laurie, so You more than likely Know by now that we are Alive. Ben spoke to Chantal But I have not been able to get through to her .. when I call there I get that fast busy signal.. So pass this on to everyone If you can We are as OK as we can be under the circumstances.. This is unfathomable ,It is to much too take in ... I have a fireman friend (Steve Olson) who is missing .. all we can do is pray. It touches all of our lives on such a profound level.. .... I was just in the World Trade Center yesterday ! I can't believe this.. Thousands of people thousands of lives.. this country will never be the same again. They came in through the back door and hit everyone .. not only physically, but on all other levels (at least, I believe their intent was to terrorize, but also to demoralize). That they were able to hit the Pentagon like that .. the linchpin of our security system. I had just arrived at work when I found out about it from Elaine,the owner's daughter, she called looking for her father. Her husband works next door to the World trade Center.. She was understandably pretty shaken up, as she couldn't reach him on his cell phone. He was OK fortunately, he , along with thousands of others walked home across the B'klyn bridge! Steve, My employer could not get out of the city at all, all the cell phones were out. I sat there at work at my drawing table, by myself all day, listening to the radio. I could not take it in. .. and it suddenly really hit me, about 2 o'clock .. before that it was too mind boggling to completely take in.. and I started to cry, and cry .. for all of the terrible pain ... the radio is estimating it in excess of 10 thousand people .. Pearl Harbor had a little over 2 thousand killed!! I went into shock again when I finally got home, and actually saw the footage on television, and then I went down by the church and looked at the skyline of New York, and It was like the twilight zone. I was looking at another City ,it was not The New York city Skyline , but some other city .. and this was not the USA but somewhere else. Our hearts may be broken but our spirits will not be!! Love Bea Wen. Sept, 12th 2001 The terrible events yesterday were predicted in the bible ( Revelations) and in the writings of a prophet named Ellen G. White, She lived and wrote around 1890 she was given visions that described events, She wrote, (and I don't have a book here to quote exactly) " The tallest buildings would be hit by giant balls of fire from the sky and would fall into themselves as if made of matchsticks" Events to come are really terrible, and we are like people in the days of the flood , we don't want to hear it. We want to go on with our lives and not listen to the prophecies that are coming true ... Myself included! and when I think of my tiny little life in the grand scheme of things I understand a little better why the Bible says "All is Vanity" I believe we have to use everything we've got, everything God gave us, to fight this monstrous evil.. and pray for more strength than we have, because God is all powerful and knows the beginning and the end. In the final analysis our salvation depends on him. although it's really hard to let go of the vanity and put it in Gods hands. I am not at all strong without God, it( my own strength ) is all an illusion that I feed myself to get me through this life. I do a lot of things in my life that I know are wrong, and have in my past done many things that I know are wrong .. I try to live my life right but my strength is vanity. I know this is true. Our only true hope is in our prayers for each other, and in God's grace. Many people in recent years, (Especially), have been so self involved, and only concerned with their own pleasure and gain, me, me, me, even in their charity, and in supporting politicly correct causes, the driving motivation has been how they are viewed by others. Image rather than substance. I believe the reasons we do things are important. God is the one who sees our heart. Please Pray for my friend, Steve Olson who is one of the hero firemen missing. Pray also for his wife and young children, one of his children is recovering from Cancer. Pray that she has the strength to deal with whatever she needs to deal with, those in such terrible pain need our prayers. Love Bea. May God help us all. Amen. Thurs. Sept. 13th. 2001 You have such a good heart.. My sweet niece .I see that. I know if you were here you would be right in the center of things .. from choice not because you had to be. I don't think things will ever be normal here again ! At least not normal in the sense of being the same as they were. I doubt that there are many people in New York, or even the tri State area, who do not know someone. who was lost. They are talking full scale war now.. part of me wants to get as far away from New York as humanly possible. (which,with all of the lock downs isn't very far these days) and the other part wants to fight!! I just think that most people do not have any Idea, really of who we are dealing with.. The totally alien thought process that brought this whole thing about.. I believe, these people have had many years in which to hone their skills in psychologically demoralizing techniques. They are masters at the subtle and not so subtle twists such as using our own planes to attack us, training their suicide pilots in our country! Twisting the meaning of freedom and democracy into an ugly weapon to use against us! Laughing at us while they Kill thousands of defenseless people!! and the scariest part is the complete lack of respect for any life including their own. This was planned for many years.. I heard a rumor , I don't know if it is true, but I heard that just before the attacks there were no cabs at all in the area of the twin towers. Food for thought if its true.??? ?And if the cab drivers knew.. why didn't the CIA? ?? They want to use our own openness , freedom and belief system against us ... I believe that they are not afraid of retaliation, this is what they want.. they want to plunge us into a totally chaotic 3rd world war. They believe, they are on a holy mission and are being directed by God !! therefor they have no fear of death, and no wish to preserve life on earth. They only want to be around long enough to destroy every one .. that to me is really scary. I am so filled with conflicting emotions, and struggling so hard to think clearly . Feeling such deep Pain for those lost, and those left behind in pain, shock, terror and confusion ( NOT HELPLESSNESS ) we are not helpless. I personally feel jagged, my pain is fresher , because of my own resent horrendous losses) I write about my feelings because its easier for me to write than it is to articulate and it is my own personal way of organizing my mixed up emotions and dealing with things. That and Prayer... God help us All.... The only good thing that came out of this is the way that people are rallying to help one another, and boost moral. Everyone it seems , is doing everything they can, to help out and aid the victims and their familles.. and all of the people working so tirelessly at the site to try to save lives.. if they can. I am only an artist, such a superficial skill in a time like this, When all priorities change. Candle light vigil tomorrow night at 7 EST throughout the country!! love Bea Sept. 14th 2001 I just came in a few minutes ago, it was heart warming to see how many people were outside for the candlelight vigil! . Ben has Volunteered, he has been unable to get into the city to work. there is still no ferry service except for emergency personnel. He is helping to organize and distribute supplies for the fire fighters etc., blankets, flashlights, socks, gloves, canine food, etc. It feels good to be able to do something to help out. Everyone feel like they want to do something. (I have racked my brain to find ways I can help in this crisis) Then I thought of all of the things I have in the basement, a lot of Cameron's Books, CDs, games, toys, My huge drafting table ( which is wonderful but too big for the apt! ) and other things. So .. I am trying to organize a yard sale to raise money for victims families. After Cameron died, other than his personal things, I don't wish to keep anything,, His death was so painful to Us) I think Cameron would like that his things are being sold for this cause . I work here on Staten Island so don't have the commuting problem, ???I have been able to continue working all week, by the way my new hrs are Tues. Through Sat. I have Sunday and Mondays off. I hope I can get it all organized for this coming week. Thank You for your prayers, they help. God bless you and keep you safe. Love Bea Mon. Sept. 17th. I have sat here, and cried and cried as I watched and listened to the horrors unfold on TV and radio,(I'd almost rather not see it). I can't imagine what it must be like for those that must deal on a daily basis, with sorting through the rubble separating body parts from twisted metal... a different kind of strength.. (than I feel I have ). We have neighbors (in our building) who are dealing directly with it.. an EMS worker, a Nurse, and an FBI agent.. all of whom had been working double shifts for the first few days, The FBI agent still is. I haven't seen her in days, (just heard her, getting ready to leave for work noises, at odd times, like midnight). The glut of emotions, since this horror began, have been so intense,and conflicting .. one feels guilty, about feeling good, about anything... My friend Marian, and her husband Brian ( EMS worker & Nurse) went out to Dinner last night, trying to get a small measure of relief from the intense stress.. Brian has been working at the Staten Island Land Fill ( closed down last year reopened for this ) which is where they are taking everything picked up from ground zero.. Things have to be separated and labeled. Body parts found and separated from the rest ot the debris.. God help us.. Marian told me she felt guilty about feeling good, ( the one emotion that has been in short supply lately!) I have felt numb since yesterday.. unable to cry any more (it seems, for the moment the well is dry) then I feel guilty about that! Knowing that We must move on, must try to reestablish some sort of normal activity schedule and life. It is hard.. just when you feel good, or laugh about something , you hear or see another tale of horror. ( A TALE OF TWIN TOWERS) It does help to be doing something towards the effort. The yard sale for next weekend. ( the proceeds will go towards a disaster relief fund) I made up a flier and put it all over the neighborhood. The reaction has been positive if I can get more people to contribute.? Maybe we can raise some real money. The President does seem to have a handle on this situation .. I don't think we have a choice.. We must fight this thing.. But this will be unlike any war the world has seen to date. We have to know the nature of the scorpion we are dealing with, or maybe it's more like a multi-headed hydra!! Ben just came home.. he said the city is beginning to smell of death,It is like a giant open grave, and it will get worse before it gets better. There is two or three miles of water between us and Manhattan.. Little by little bit by bit we will get through this. but in getting through it, I hope we never forget. This is a gentler, kinder, and more sober City now and apparently there has been less crime.. murders are down, domestic violence is down.. child abuse is down... there have been a lot more bomb threats though. It seems to have impacted a lot of businesses, large and small! From major airlines, to all of the small businesses in lower Manhattan ( below 14th street) that have been closed since it happened.. 20 thousand lay off's in United Airlines alone! so many people connected with finance worked in and around the Twin Towers.. we too , have had several cancellations of appointments in the past week.. a lot of the businesses that had offices in the twin towers, have moved out of state to N J or elsewhere . I don't know when the dominos will stop falling.. God bless you and yours. Love Bea Mon Sept. 24rd. 2001 Hi Chanti Well the yard sale went so well .. I am going to do it again next Sunday! we raised $210.75! I sold a couple of my prints, and an angel I have to get some more made up for next weekend. I am going into the city today for the first time since this horror happened .. I'll email you later . Love Mom. Mon. Sept. 24th. 2001 Well, the city is very strange now.. the military is all over the place you see soldiers in fatigues walking in groups, street corners and subway stations are very well policed now. especially the downtown area, and the mood is very subdued.. You know how New York has always had that kind of kinetic energy? well it's like the whole city had .. not just the air knocked out of it but, it's been wounded, horribly. and people are scared. The other night we had a thunderstorm and there was an especially loud clap of thunder Ben woke up, and Shot out of bed.. he said his first thought, was that they sent a missile.. We are really trying to get back to normal, but I think it will take a long while, and things will never ever really feel safe again.. and it all still has the feeling of being on a movie set or a bad dream , we are just not waking up from.. So many things, are so radically altered.. and so heartbreaking.. I'll call you soon.. Love Mom RC Story: Response Held two Yard Sales to raise money. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story6.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. anonymously Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-09-12 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 64.12.96.139 Notes Notes about this item. An interesting chronicle. Inspired to volunteer. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story September 11, 2001 was a perfect September morning. Perfect weather, perfect blue sky, not a bad day to be going to work. I arrived to my office at 101 Park Avenue and stepped off the elevator on the 45th floor. I immediately knew something was wrong since the blinds were dramatically pulled back and a few indivdiuals were looking out the window in disbelief. The receptionist cautioned me before I looked out the windows and saw the twin towers engulfed in flames. The planes had both hit and now the towers were burning. Considering the clearness of that beautiful day, I had a perfect view to the horror. One senior partner remarked that the towers would hold "they were built to handle the worse." I didn't believe him. From the view I had, and the flames that I saw, I couldn't imagine how they could possibly hold. I was able to call my dad by phone who told me that the news was reporting a terrorist attack. He was watching the news on tv and relaying the news of the attack at the Pentagon, as well as the downed plane in Pennsylvania. Some time later I heard a scream and ran over to the window. It was at that moment the first tower started to fall. It was at that moment I said a prayer for all those I feared dead. It was also at that moment I decided to leave for home. RC Story: Response I served as an American Red Cross volunteer for the 9/11 recovery effort. I worked the midnight to 8:00 a.m. shift at Ground Zero. I felt it was the very least I could do. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story39.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. anonymously Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-08-19 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 12.149.217.162 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story At the time I worked evenings for the Disney's Lion King Production at the Hollywood Pantages Theater. I was at home sleeping when my husband ran inside and woke me up screaming turn on the news. My husband and I watched the news in terror not quite comprehending what had just happened! My stomach started to hurt, and I started to feel anxious and thinking that there has to be something I can do. My husband and I immediately went to our parents house; we both had an overwhelming feeling to be with our families. I can remember watching the T.V. almost all day. The next day I realized there has to be something I can do. I updated my resume and faxed it to the American Red Cross, and asked Human Resources what I could do for them. I was shortly then hired as a Blood Donor Recruiter. I am still working for the Red Cross educating the public the importance of donating blood before a tragedy occurs, and coordinating blood drives in the local community. RC Story: Response RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee yes Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story36.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-08-13 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 162.6.242.187 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was in shock for most of the day. I was most worried about my Aunt who worked for Marsh Co. I knew she went to work most days by 8am. After I saw the first plane hit the N.WTC I tried to call her in the South Tower. I tried and tried and it seemed like forever and could never get through. All I could do was sit, glued to the TV. When I saw the South Tower collaspe I got this sharp pain and I felt like I was going to pass out. At that point I knew where she was. I didn't even know my Uncle was there. His office was not located in the Towers but, he had meetings there often. Nothing personal was ever found to confirm he was there however, his agenda from work read "meeting WTC 8:30am". RC Story: Response I lost both my Aunt and Uncle, my Dad's sibblings, in the WTC. My Aunt in the South Tower and my Uncle in the North. Along with family, I also lost numerous friends I made while working in NY/NY area. I went to Ground Zero as soon as air traffic was up in Sept of 2001. I am a Red Cross Volunteer in Richmond, VA and I helped as a Volunteer at Ground Zero. I helped feed and water the search dogs, I handed out meals to the rescue workers, etc. I will never forget the ones who lost their lives and the impact it made on me, my family, the other families who lost loved ones and friends and all the world on September 11th, now and forever. RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee yes Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story3.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. anonymously Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-09-10 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.57.115.213 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story My name is DONNA EDELEN/SCOTT and iam an AMERICAN RED CROSS VOLUNTEER for the DISASTER/MENTAL HEALTH TEAM. I worked the Crisis LINE following the catastrophe of SEPTEMBER 11th. RED CROSS received many phone calls, some were calling about loved ones that they couldn’t locate. I remember a lady calling saying her neice and nephew were missing, they were both employed at the PENTAGON. Another person called about a close relative missing that was employed at the WORLD TRADE CENTER. Some were calling in a state of disbelief just asking the question WHY DID SUCH A HORRIBLE THING HAPPEN and what could they do. Many people called wanting to make donations of food and clothing and to volunteer their time to help locate victims in NEW YORK. Some callers were asking how safe was our country and how safe was our cities and what should they do to help their families be safer. YES, the catastrophe of SEPT 11th touched me as well as everyone else. I remember before i went down to the headquarters to do MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELLING, that I too had moments of tears and disbelief and feelings of being POWERLESS and being stripped of my FREEDOM. I knew if we as a NATION was to recover, we must come together as we had never before and we must share each others strength and the belief that we would prevail. When I volunteered I felt LESS HELPLESS it was the beginning of a HEALING PROCESS. When TRAGEDY hits of that MAGNITUDE all other issues are of very little importance and during that time we were a NATION that was UNITED and in GRIEF. Time does HEAL but SCARS remain, I have CONCERNS and FEARS like anyone else, I NOTICE PLANES more than before and I dont take my FREEDOM for GRANTED and I feel ROBBED of LIFE as I had ONCE KNOWN IT but I look forward to TOMORROW and even more PROUDER of being an AMERICAN. RC Story: Response RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story9.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-10-02 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.168.76.62 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story We had just taken our first breakfrom Istep and a teacher came in crying and everyone knew something had happenedwe just didn't know what. Without saying a word she turned on the t.v and we watched in disbelief as the second plane hit. When I heard about the pentagon and PA I knew I had to help... I felt a part of me crumble everytime I saw the damage or saw a repeat of the plane hitting. RC Story: Response My friend Amber and I decided to raise money and I got ahold of my local chapter and we set donation cans around our small town of not even 1000 people...We raised $511.97 in a month. RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story41.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-10-18 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 165.139.65.1