In remembrance of the anniversary of September 11th,
the New York Juvenile Justice Corps organized a service project to benefit local firemen and family members affected by the attacks. Corps members spent
the morning volunteering at Friends of Firefighters, a community-based
organization formed by a small group of volunteers in the days after September
11th. Friends of Firefighters is based in a recently renovated 1800s
era firehouse, a setting where many firemen feel comfortable seeking mental
health and wellness services at no or low cost. Services include talk therapy, biofeedback, massage, acupuncture and peer support group workshops. Many active and retired firemen continue to volunteer with Friends of Firefighters, restoring the building and staying connected to the
brotherhood that still provides them with so much strength and comfort. Corps members did a deep clean of the space, sweeping, mopping, organizing and dusting, and then ventured
outside to do a community clean-up of the neighboring blocks.
Everyone was grateful for the opportunity to be of service at a
time when the pain of 9/11 is on all of our minds, and to contribute
in a small way to the important work Friends of Firefighters does every day of
the year.
