Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Corps Members Volunteer for Local Firefighters in honor of 9/11 Day of Service


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.  

 Corps members volunteered alongside active and retired firemen to help complete the renovation of the office space.

 Corps Members in front of Friends of Firefighters, formerly an active firehouse from 1873-1960.
  
Cops Members with Friends of Firefighters founder and executive director, Nancy Carbone.