![\"15](\"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/15-Years-Later-Remembering-September-11th.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
*Each of us may experience a range of emotions as we remember the September 11th<\/sup> terrorist attacks and ways to cope with our reactions. Please be aware that this article may evoke memories and intensify your reactions.<\/em><\/p>\n September 9, 2016 <\/em> A short 15-minute walk from Safe Horizon’s administrative headquarters in downtown Manhattan is one of the locations where a national tragedy occurred 15 years ago. We will never forget the catastrophic impact the September 11th<\/sup> attacks had, not only on the immediate and surrounding area, but on the entire country. We will also never forget the role our dedicated staff played in making a difference in the lives of thousands of people directly and indirectly affected by the attacks.<\/p>\n As an agency that specializes in providing compassionate support and practical resources to those affected by violence and abuse, we are often called upon by community and government leaders to lend these expert services in response to traumatic events. The September 11th<\/sup> terrorist attacks exemplified such a time.<\/p>\n To assist the thousands of people who needed help in the aftermath of the attacks, many organizations and service providers were required to mobilize and respond. Safe Horizon did just that and assumed a lead role in coordinating New York City\u2019s relief effort and in providing direct services to victims. We were able to assist people who were injured or displaced, those who lost loved ones, those who were traumatized and those who were economically impacted. Through partnerships with the September 11th<\/sup> Fund, the 9\/11 United Services Group, and Project Liberty, we acted as a conduit; distributing funds and emergency services that were critically needed.<\/p>\n With the financial assistance distributed by Safe Horizon, people like Ramon and Lillian, an elderly couple from the Bronx, were able to recover without worry. Ramon and Lillian worked as elevator operators in the World Trade Center and suffered excruciating physical injuries during the attacks. Because of their serious injuries, they both spent most of their time in hospitals, doctor\u2019s office, and physical therapy instead of with each other. Safe Horizon helped Ramon and Lillian reclaim lost wages and cover the cost of their medical bills.<\/p>\n Our hotline immediately became a central resource for anyone seeking information relating to September 11th<\/sup> services. We developed a comprehensive Resource Referral Guide that was disseminated broadly so clients and service providers knew where to find specific types of help. We joined the City in staffing the Center at the Lexington Avenue Armory to serve as a meeting place for people looking for information and services. We were one of the first organizations to offer crisis counseling and support to people coming to the Armory searching for loved ones, who were evacuated from their buildings or who lost their job. Our community trauma response team was activated and provided hundreds of forums throughout the five boroughs for groups of individuals to come together and discuss their reactions, learn strategies for managing those reactions and learn how to access additional resources and help. We provided immediate financial assistance to victims through the Crime Victim\u2019s Board. Many survivors who were anxious about seeking services at a City-sponsored location or who were traumatized by returning to Manhattan accessed help at our Community Program Offices. Two of the many people who sought help and began healing at our Community Program Offices are Carlos and Franklin, who were inseparable co-workers.<\/p>\n Carlos and Franklin were shoe-shiners at the Twin Towers. They were so distraught that neither could leave their home for months. Carlos was too upset to open up about his feelings until he arrived at the Disaster Relief Assistance Center. After Carlos spoke with a Safe Horizon counselor, he started to work with one of our caring social workers. After the first few weeks, Carlos spoke about his healing process with Franklin, who then also decided to talk to someone. We were able to provide both Carlos and Franklin the supportive services they needed to help them cope and begin to move forward with their lives.<\/p>\n Carlos, Franklin, Ramon and Lillian are only some of the many people affected by the tragedy of the attacks we were able to assist. In fact, during the four years following the September 11th<\/sup> attacks, we distributed more than $250 million in emergency financial relief from the September 11th Fund, and touched the lives of over 55, 000 individuals and companies affected.<\/p>\n As an agency, we learned a great deal from providing these services in a time of crisis. In 2014, we were called upon to provide emergency assistance following a tragic explosion of a residential building in East Harlem. Even though this more recent tragic event was not near the magnitude of the September 11th<\/sup> attacks, it was largely due to the lessons learned more than a decade earlier that we were able to able to mobilize and respond with help when people needed it.<\/p>\n As we look back on the September 11th<\/sup> attacks 15 years later, we are proud to have been part of relief efforts along with many other organizations. When such an event of this magnitude occurs, it takes more than one organization to be able to help all those affected. Many agencies, organizations and individual responders helped our fellow New Yorkers in a time of crisis and we appreciate the opportunity to have been part of the effort.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We look back on how Safe Horizon has responded to the thousands of people who needed help in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":{"id":2925,"alt_text":"15 Years later: Remembering September 11th","caption":"","description":"15 Years later: Remembering September 11th","media_type":"image","media_details":{"width":849,"height":565,"file":"2016\/09\/15-Years-Later-Remembering-September-11th.jpg","sizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"15-Years-Later-Remembering-September-11th-150x150.jpg","width":150,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/15-Years-Later-Remembering-September-11th-150x150.jpg"},"medium":{"file":"15-Years-Later-Remembering-September-11th-300x200.jpg","width":300,"height":200,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/15-Years-Later-Remembering-September-11th-300x200.jpg"},"medium_large":{"file":"15-Years-Later-Remembering-September-11th-768x511.jpg","width":768,"height":511,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/15-Years-Later-Remembering-September-11th-768x511.jpg"}},"image_meta":{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0","keywords":[]}},"post":2924,"source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/15-Years-Later-Remembering-September-11th.jpg"},"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2015],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-safe-blog","issue-victims-of-other-abuse"],"acf":{"page_header_title":"","page_header_excerpt":"","page_header_image":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/silhouette_hero_image.png","related_initiative_title":"You can make a difference!","related_initiative_link":"\/donate\/","related_initiative_link_text":"Donate","featured_posts":[{"ID":2765,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2015-03-12 18:55:00","post_date_gmt":"2015-03-12 18:55:00","post_content":"
\nBy Dana Rosenwasser<\/em>
\n<\/b><\/span><\/p>\nCalled Upon By Community Leaders<\/h2>\n
Helping Those Affected Heal<\/h2>\n
Our Everlasting Impact<\/h2>\n
![\"East](\"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/East-Harlem-Explosion-Anniversary-2015.jpg\")
<\/center>By Dana Rosenwasser<\/em>\r\nMarch 12, 2015<\/em>\r\n\r\nIn remembrance of the first anniversary of the East Harlem building collapse, First Lady Chirlane McCray joined Speaker of the New York City Council Melissa Mark-Viverito and officials from the Mayor\u2019s Fund to present a certificate of recognition and appreciation to our programs.\r\n\r\nManhattan Community Program Director Barbara Ellis and Safe Horizon Counseling Center Senior Director Ruth Forero accepted the honor for providing speedy response and imperative crisis services to the community in the surrounding area.\r\nResponding Swiftly to Crisis<\/h2>\r\nThe event recounted the shocking turn of events on March 12, 2014 when a gas explosion destroyed two five-story buildings by 116th Street and Park Avenue in East Harlem, and damaged several adjacent buildings. Tragically, eight residents lost their lives that morning. The collapse left residents and community members alike in shock, disrupting hundreds of lives, and damaging the livelihood of dozens of New Yorkers.\r\n\r\nWithin two days, Safe Horizon was engaged as a partner by the Mayor\u2019s Fund to Advance the City of New York to administer a victims\u2019 assistance fund from our Manhattan-Bronx Community Program. Staff of various backgrounds that included trauma experts, social workers and case managers tended to the needs of those who lost loved ones, were displaced from their homes, or suffered damage to their furniture and belongings.\r\n\r\n\u201cSafe Horizon has deep experience in trauma response and supporting individuals and communities following disastrous events<\/em>\u201d Juanito Vargas commented. \u201cAlthough we typically work with victims of abuse, we were able to apply our expertise to provide both emotional and practical support to survivors of the East Harlem building collapse.<\/em>\u201d\r\n
Supporting Victims of the Building Collapse<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nIn just 14 weeks, Safe Horizon provided more than 1, 000 counseling sessions and advocacy to more than 100 households, and distributed more than $270, 000 in direct aid.\u00a0These resources were able to support various critical needs that ranged from enabling the burial of loved ones in a foreign country to buying essentials such as clothing, groceries, and furniture. Families who needed to relocate, were provided with rent deposit support. Our team worked closely with city agencies and local non-profits to advocate for the residents\u2019 needs including Union Settlement and Little Sisters of the Assumption (LSA) Family Health Service.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe whole crew provided a range of assistance to those who suffered various kinds of trauma from the event, from home damage to the death of a loved one, <\/em>\u201d said Barbara Ellis. \u201cI am most proud of the fact that, despite the challenges, we all rose to the occasion. I think we did some extraordinary things.<\/em>\u201d","post_title":"Safe Horizon Honored by First Lady on Anniversary of East Harlem Explosion","post_excerpt":"First Lady Chirlane McCray honors Safe Horizon for responding swiftly to the East Harlem building collapse.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"safe-horizon-honored-first-lady-anniversary-east-harlem-explosion","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2017-06-22 15:14:16","post_modified_gmt":"2017-06-22 15:14:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/?p=2765","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"original_url":""},"yoast_head":"\n