911 aftermath how to#

“They asked me if I was going to leave New York,” Gorra said of a group of frightened tourists she encountered a few hours after the attacks. You know, as a kid I was with the Red Cross as a volunteer, and as a teenager, and then I came back home again after 9/11. “I never felt that I would leave the Red Cross, since 9/11. I felt at home. The ability to aid people after disasters and crises, and the ability to make a change in their lives, is what makes his work with the organization meaningful to him.

911 aftermath how to#

We couldn’t wait for the city to come back to life,” Sanford said. “The smell of the building burning just stayed with you, and it probably still stays with me today.”įollowing the 9/11 recovery effort, Sanford knew he would remain with the Red Cross. He now serves as a Red Cross preparedness trainer and teaches volunteers how to drive Emergency Response Vehicles. Recently, he supported relief efforts for victims of California wildfires. “It was a very sad time it was a difficult time. He also remembers the sorrow that came in the aftermath and the way the New York atmosphere changed. “Any time we did something, and they saw that Red Cross van,” Sanford said, “people just opened up to us.” Sanford recalls the gratitude that people had for the Red Cross, particularly following the events of Sept. 11.

“I felt that that was also an obligation of mine, to let people know where they are - give them a little perspective about New York City and a little joy about New York City.” Sanford recalled spending months giving mini tours to the volunteers, pointing out the city's different landmarks as he shuttled them across the area. This was the ideal job for the native New Yorker who, in addition to being a teacher, also worked as a tour guide. “My job was to shuttle people from the Brooklyn headquarters to the 9/11 site - what they call the Ground Zero site,” Sanford said. Having fond memories of supporting the Red Cross as a child, Sanford was immediately prompted to join the organization's relief efforts.

“I think that we should just never forget.” Looking back on the events of 9/11, Montoro said that visiting New York’s Financial District still evokes dark memories for him. In his mind, he hears the sirens that blared to notify volunteers that surrounding buildings were about to collapse and they needed to flee the area. He also recalls the moments of silence that followed the discovery of bodies amid the rubble. “The Red Cross was the perfect place for me. I thought it was a perfect fit for what my mentality was.” You had to think larger. because if something like this happened again, the only way to stop it is for all of us to be combined as one,” Montoro said. You couldn’t just be one person you couldn’t just be you and your family. Montoro has since taken part in relief and recovery efforts following both local and national disasters, as well as encouraged his son and daughter to become volunteers. He credits 9/11 as a turning moment for him in his relation to volunteer service and community aid. “I always keep his picture with me in my Red Cross bag,” Montoro said. Nearly 20 years and thousands of volunteer hours later, Montoro remains a dedicated member of the team, serving as Mass Care Chief and Disaster Action Team member.Īn additional inspiration for Montoro was the death of a friend who had been in one of the towers. Each holds memories of that day that are tinged with moments of both grief and hope. Over twenty years later, many are still active team members who regard 9/11 as the inspiration for their long and continuing Red Cross journey. The majority were volunteers, including thousands who had joined the organization for the first time.

In the hours following the tragedy, the Red Cross initiated a relief effort that would last years and span the nation, ultimately involving more than 57,000 team members. “Two decades later, we continue to honor the heaviness that this day carries, and we offer our compassion to every American still grieving.” 'We owe so much to all who gave of themselves to help our city and our nation heal,” Mary Barney, CEO of the American Red Cross in Greater New York, said.

Some were inspired to become Red Cross volunteers, helping the country cope and heal by working at the front lines of the organization’s massive relief effort, or simply supporting their own neighbors. Many offered their time and compassion to others while struggling to cope with the tragedy themselves. Through their grief, Americans came together in unprecedented ways to respond to the unimaginable events. Over twenty years later, many can still recall their own 9/11 experiences as if they’d happened yesterday. September 11, 2001, marks one of the most devastating days in American history. By Olivia Kozlevcar, American Red Cross in Greater NY