Red Hook Remembers 9-11

On Monday, September 12^th the New York Juvenile Justice Corps hosted a service event to bring the Red Hook community together in honor of September 11^th Day of Service and Remembrance. Many members of the Red Hook community were directly affected by the attacks and many more rose in service in the days after to help with recovery efforts. The day was a chance to stop and remember those who were lost, and honor their memory through service. Red Hook is directly across the East River from Ground Zero, and people who were in Red Hook at the time still remember watching in horror as the towers fell 10 years ago. Volunteers and emergency officials from the neighborhood were among the first to arrive, including Red Hook's Ladder 101, known today as "Seven in Heaven" because all seven firemen who responded to the call were lost. In the weeks after the attacks, local residents, Court Officers, and AmeriCorps members organized supply collections for first responders and helped with the cleanup effort at Ground Zero.

Corps Members teamed up with high school members of the Red Hook Youth Court, staff at the Red Hook Community Justice Center, and volunteers from the community to do a service project with Friends of Firefighters.  Friends of Firefighters is a local non-profit which was formed in the days after 9-11 by a small group of volunteers who went from firehouse to firehouse to meet the urgent needs of firemen affected by the attacks. Today, Friends of Firefighters is a one of a kind organization dedicated to health and well-being of New York City firefighters, 9-11 first responders and their families. Corps Members volunteered alongside former firefighters, cleaning, creating outreach packets, and helping Friends of Firefighters renovate their space. Corps Members and other volunteers also brought in homemade baked goods to give to Red Hook’s Court Officers, Officers of the 76^th Precinct, and Firefighters from Engine 202 Ladder 101 in recognition of their bravery, sacrifice and daily service to the Red Hook community.

Corps Members with Nancy Carbone, Founder and Executive Director of Friends of Firefighters

Corps Members at Engine 202 Ladder 101 delivering homebaked goods as a small gesture of appreciation