Remembering 9/11: The First Few Hours of the Greater NY Red Cross Response

Written Sunday, September 11, 2022

Every year on September 11 we reflect on that fateful day in 2001 and on the trying weeks, months and years that followed. We do so to honor those we lost, to comfort those still grieving and to thank those who gave of themselves to help us heal.

Just as our nation was forever changed, so was the Red Cross. Our organization’s relief effort—in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pa.— was one of the largest in our organization’s history. The response continued for years after the attacks and involved more than 57,000 volunteers and employees from across the country.

No one place was affected as profoundly as our great city and no Red Cross chapter was as deeply impacted than Greater New York; we were at the epicenter of the relief effort. Within moments of the first plane striking the North Tower, teams of Greater Red Cross staff sprang into action to help.

Here is their story:
Minutes after the first plane struck the North Tower, Greater New York Senior Director of Emergency Services Virginia Mewborn and Assistant Director of Operations Max Green left the chapter’s headquarters on Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan to respond to what they then thought was a small plane hitting the World Trade Center.
Green and Mewborn were planning to evaluate the situation to see how the Red Cross could best support emergency personnel at the scene. On the drive down, Green said he felt that if the building were evacuated early, “…it would have been a long-term canteen operation, where we would support emergency workers.”

As they drove, Virginia paged Red Cross Field Operations Supervisor Luis Avila and asked him to join them. Avila, who was in Queens that morning working a second job, could see the smoke from the North Tower from his location. He told his boss he was leaving, and in fact, never returned to that job. As he left, Avila watched in disbelief as the second plane banked and hit the South Tower.

Mewborn and Green, in their car, began to realize that they had not understood the scope of this incident. “As you got onto the West Side Highway you could see the smoke,” said Green. “My heart fluttered. I looked up at it, saying ‘This, this looks a lot bigger than what I thought it was.’”

The two parked on West Street, south of Chambers and walked towards the World Financial Center (WFC). They hoped to find a command group—people from partner agencies like the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), who would be coordinating this disaster response with the Red Cross.

Because her cell phone wasn’t working, Mewborn borrowed a phone at a shoe repair store to call headquarters. Greater NY Red Cross CEO Bob Bender told her four things: a second plane had hit, they were dealing with a terrorist attack, Red Cross would set up a Respite Center downtown for survivors and first responders, and he’d sent an Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) down with a Red Cross disaster responder, Kemagne Theagne, to meet them.

Mewborn and Green found a command post on West Street, right across from the Twin Towers. That’s when they saw a horrific sight—people jumping from the upper stories of the Trade Center. They decided they should not get closer; they should in fact return to the chapter to organize the Red Cross response from there.

Meanwhile, Avila had arrived in lower Manhattan and parked on West and Vesey. “When we get to a scene,” he said, “the first person with a vehicle tries to get as close as they can.” He continued on foot to 7 World Trade, where OEM’s offices were located. “I saw debris everywhere, I was wading through rubble,” he said. As he began to follow a group of fire chiefs, the “haunting scenes” around him convinced Avila he should leave. He turned right to regroup with Green and Mewborn, and the first responders turned left, towards the Towers. Avila later learned they had perished.

As Avila approached the WFC he saw Mewborn and Green, and they walked inside together. “We made a deal that we were going to stay together from that point on,” he said, “that we were going to take care of one another.” Avila was able to contact his wife and let her know he was alright, then the line went dead. “What felt like an earthquake” shook the building. It was the North Tower coming down, but they didn’t know that. They thought the WFC was collapsing on top of them. Suddenly, the building’s windows exploded. Avila grabbed Mewborn and Green. They ran, along with hundreds of others, to the West Side Highway, zigzagging their way back to Green’s car.

Meanwhile, Kemagne Theagne, who had rushed down from chapter headquarters in an ERV, was on Church Street, directly in front of the Towers, trying to find the Red Cross staging area for the relief operation he believed Mewborn, Green and Avila were mounting. He had just gotten out of the ERV to help a woman who had fallen, when he heard, “Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop.” He looked up and saw the North Tower coming down, floor by floor. “I just froze; I couldn't believe this was happening.”

As people ran out of the lobby towards Theagne, a man grabbed him. The two ran together, holding one another, towards a staircase leading into a subway station with a locked gate. They were now engulfed by choking soot and debris. Theagne tried calling his three colleagues, but his Nextel radio was dead. He said to himself, “I hope, I hope, I hope they made it.”

His colleagues were on their way back to HQ. As they drove, they spotted a man in Red Cross gear they thought was Theagne. They stopped and pulled him into the car, only to realize that it was responder Barry Crumbley, who had traveled to the site on his own to find his wife, who worked in one of the Towers. (She made it out safely.)

Theagne spent the next 45 minutes at the foot of the staircase, “just waiting,” trying to breathe, until he saw some light trying to break through the smoke. “We used that little bit of sunlight to guide us out.” They climbed up the stairs and ran.

After washing himself off at a nearby deli along with dozens of others, Theagne made his way back to the ERV. “I said to myself, ‘I got to get this vehicle out of here.’” He slowly made his way out of the site in the dust-covered ERV, “driving through the spider web what was the windshield.” When he finally arrived uptown, covered in dust and ash, no one could believe he had brought the ERV back. 

Mewborn, Green and Avila had already returned, also covered in soot from head to toe. “I don't know if [our colleagues] thought we were dead or they were seeing a ghost,” said Avila. “All I remember saying is give me water… I drank about two liters as quick as I could.”

After giving themselves a few moments to wash up and regroup, they remobilized with the rest of the Red Cross team. “After we realized everybody was okay, we needed to make sure that we had supplies down there,” said Avila.

https://www.redcrossnyblog.org/2014/09/remembering-911-first-few-hours-of.html

(link includes photos and video testimonials from Red Cross responders) 

Updated 9/14/2026

Christopher Franklin

U.S. Air Force officer assigned to the Pentagon

Twenty-five years ago today, I was serving as a U.S. Air Force officer assigned to the Pentagon when American Airlines Flight 77 struck our building.

In the days that followed, I served in the relief and recovery effort at Camp Unity, the support base established at the Pentagon for the thousands of first responders, recovery workers, military personnel and others working around the clock.

What stays with me all these years later is the extraordinary generosity of the people who came to help.

The American Red Cross, Salvation Army, North Carolina Baptist Men’s Disaster Relief, chaplains, counselors, medical personnel, businesses and countless volunteers provided food, clothing, supplies, comfort and care. North Carolina Baptist volunteers alone prepared nearly 70,000 meals, while the broader Pentagon feeding effort distributed more than 500,000 meals in 13 days.

On September 11, I witnessed some of the worst of humanity. In the days that followed, I witnessed the very best of the human spirit.

People came from everywhere. They asked for nothing. They simply wanted to serve.

I remain profoundly grateful to every person who showed up for us - and for one another.

Neal Gorman

Media Relations, American Red Cross in Rochester; responded to DC and NYC

I was a full-time media relations employee at the American Red Cross in Rochester. We were in the middle of a media meeting and had to cut it short. My pager and cell rang continuously it seemed - calls from family, reporters, friends, and my worried mother. 

The community response was heartwarming. I did nonstop interviews with media outside the Red Cross for hours. They trusted me, and I somehow knew how to speak without causing more panic. 

I deployed to D.C., where I saw the Pentagon devastation and worked at the national call center we set up, then to the Brooklyn Red Cross headquarters, where I was onboarded, then to a family resource center on Canal Street, and to the GNY Chapter. It was an overwhelming, nonstop fire hose of raw input and experiences: the wall of teddy bears at the Pier 94 Family Assistance Center, the items and missing persons notes all over Manhattan, the grieving families we worked with, the incredible resilience, the amazing New Yorkers who lined the West Side Highway to support workers, the smell of the burning pile, rinsing your shoes when you left. 9/11 shaped who I am. 

I stayed nearly 20 years, met my wife, we created a family in Brooklyn, and I try to teach my kids compassion—and that no matter how dark things get to stay strong and kind, and everything will be OK.

Vicki Thomas 

NHQ Biomedical Services 

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was working at home while caring for my husband following some serious medical issues. My older son was en route to the airport to fly home to Virginia and take over the caregiver role so I could get back to the office. 

At about 9:00 a.m., my younger son called and told me that a plane had struck one of the Twin Towers. Over the next hour or so, we learned what else had happened and that no commercial planes would be flying within the United States for some time. Our son wasn’t going to get back to DC, and I’d be working from home for a while. 

I was assigned to help organize and execute what would turn out to be some of the largest blood drives the Red Cross had conducted, with collections reaching into the hundreds and, in some cases, thousands of donations. For context, the average blood drive collected fewer than 40 units of blood in one day. 

I was involved in planning blood drives following many disasters, including the Air Florida crash in DC in 1982; the Chase, Maryland, train crash in 1987, and the Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing in 1995. But this was different. It was a historic national disaster, and everyone wanted to help in any way they could. We needed to move quickly to respond. 

The local blood region needed additional resources, especially many more trained staff, to help make these new and much-bigger blood drives happen, so I got to work to figure out how we could get them here with all planes grounded and where they would stay. 

By September 12 the FAA had granted permission for Angel Flight and similar non-profits to fly disaster relief workers, Red Cross personnel and others to DC and NYC to assist in the recovery efforts. Collections staff were brought in from other areas to supplement the existing resources. I contacted the general manager of a major hotel chain’s flagship DC property, and he graciously offered to house and feed our staff at no charge for as long as we needed. A local sedan service offered to take the staff members to and from local blood drives at no charge. The willingness of the community to help was essential and deeply appreciated. 

Amid the logistical challenges of organizing the blood drives, there were constant reminders of why we were doing this work. The scale of the response was enormous, but behind the numbers were thousands of individual stories of loss, courage, and service. One of those stories became especially meaningful to me. 

In the aftermath of 9/11, I learned that the person who facilitated the weekly Red Cross blood drives at the Pentagon had died in the attack. Meta Waller, a special programs manager for the administrative assistant to the Secretary of the Army, was at her desk in the E Ring of the Pentagon that day. I’ve commemorated her both at the Pentagon Memorial and at the 9/11 Memorial in New York. Seeing her name in both places was—and remains—a humbling experience.

Susan Bowman Smith

Director Volunteer Resources, Greensboro Red Cross – Served at the Red Cross Respite Center serving Ground Zero; Service Center; and AA Flight 587 Crash in Queens

I served at St. John's University Manhattan Campus American Red Cross's first-ever 24-hour respite center, about three blocks north of the World Trade Center. I will never forget the police officers, firefighters, construction workers, and National Guard personnel coming in for a shower, sleep, and to eat during exhausting recovery shifts at Ground Zero. Estimated 9,000 to over 13,000 per day for three months. 

We would travel in by bus to work our shifts, briefing new volunteers as we traveled to the site. The walls inside lined with cards, letters, posters from school child, churches, businesses thanking all for their service and prayers for comfort. Next a Service Center on Canal Street assisting people displaced from their homes and then at HQ helping process over 30,000 volunteers seasoned and spontaneous. 

November 12th packed and ready to check out of my hotel for my return home, AA Flight 587 crashed in Queens shut the city down and air space down once again. A call from RC HQ requested I find a way to the hotel being set up by American Airlines as a Family Assistance Center for families of the 260 souls on board and 5 killed on the ground...I did and was one of the first Red Crossers there....I will NEVER forget.

Doug Erickson

Reposted from September 23, 2001

I returned from the Pentagon yesterday at around noon after spending 14 days there following 9-11, it is hard for me to express the feelings and emotions that ran through my head while there, so I penned this note. 

I knew I had a job to do so didn’t think about or reflect on the minutes or days as they passed. I felt honored and proud to serve in the capacity I did. I was a Government Liaison and interacted with ALL Governmental agencies involved in the relief operation, like the Dept. of Defense, Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, EPA, FBI, FEMA, several Fire Depts. Police Depts. And many Search & Rescue teams from as far away as California. Along with The Salvation Army, The North Carolina Southern Baptist Men, Christ in Action (multi-denominational organization), Burger King, McDonalds, and Outback Steak House. These guys all kept us fed.

This tragedy is unlike anything that I have ever experienced but I can also tell you that the overall response has been the smoothest run that I have ever been involved in. The interaction with the other organizations was outstanding, the togetherness, teamwork and love for this country is truly evident and I hope and pray that the relief operation in NY is going just as smooth. I will transition from DC to NYC in the next few days after returning home for some chores… Our thoughts and prayers go out to all relief workers and their families as well as all the victims and their families.

Lisa Crittenden

September 11 is a hard day for so many of my friends and family. So many lives were lost, and so many others were forever impacted. I was in Washington, DC, just a few blocks from the White House. I was sitting in my office when someone called me into another office because the first plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. As we stood there watching the television, we saw the second plane hit the other tower. Then came the news about the Pentagon. DC shut down.

I remember driving through nearly empty streets, just trying to get home to Virginia. There was so much uncertainty, fear, and disbelief. What I didn’t know at the time was that when I got home, I would begin hearing about friends whose lives had been lost. And then there was my brother.

He was on the train underneath the World Trade Center when the towers were hit. He was able to get out before the towers collapsed.

Every year, September 11 brings all of those memories back—the images, the fear, the uncertainty, the people we lost, and the realization of just how close my own family came to an unimaginable loss. It is simply a hard day.

Yolanda Elaine Patterson

I left my full-time job for a week to go help ARC in DC. Red Cross workers worked around the clock dedicating time, resources, food, shelter, love, sweat, prayers and tears. It was so sad, but God gave All of Us the energy to keep going, serving, fighting and helping our Nation through a very difficult time and SAD time!!! 

America came together as ONE NATION UNDER GOD INDEVISABLE

Renita Hosler

Communications with the Red Cross of Greater Boston and Red Cross National Aviation Response Team – Public Affairs

This morning (9/11/2026), I started writing this post around the time I received a text on my pager (!!) from a local television station 25 years ago. I was on the bus going to work at Red Cross in Boston. When I called from my cell phone, the station rep says, "We are checking in to see if the Red Cross will be helping in New York with the plane crash?" This is how I found out. I politely said give me about 30 minutes to call you back once I'm at the office. 

About five minutes later a friend called and asks, "Aren't you on call for aviation responses this month for Red Cross? I'm listening to Howard Stern's Show, and he is interrupting his show talking about the plane crash at the World Trade Center." I sat in stunned silence and looked around me. I realized that crowded bus of people had no instant news or was aware of what was happening and unfolding. I was on the bus with a neighbor, and I leaned over to answer her question, "What's going on?" As I whispered, "I'm pretty sure terrorism has come to America."

On that beautiful, sunny Tuesday, within 35 minutes of the first plane crash and before my bus arrived at Back Bay Station, Red Cross headquarters had deployed me. I had my assignment before the Pentagon and Shanksville crashes were even known. By 4 pm, I entered Manhattan from the north. It was eerily quiet, still and the streets are completely empty in the place that never sleeps. 

A Red Cross volunteer -- and the friend that called me a few hours earlier-- drove me to New York. I worked during that drive to get information and answer media calls. The biggest part of this unfolding response was people wanting to donate blood. Most vehicles passing us were ambulances and other responders. All traffic was headed toward lower Manhattan. 

My first glimpse of the Red Cross chapter on Amsterdam Avenue gave me pause. As we turned a corner of empty streets, suddenly the street is filled with thousands of people wanting information, wanting to help, Red Cross volunteers that had been at various points helping people walk to other destinations from their offices to home across bridges and long avenues. These volunteers offered comfort and compassion to thousands who were leaving the city on foot… The human spirit of coming together and lifting each other during this response. 

I'm so grateful to many people who are [part of my community] and part of the Red Cross. As I think about you, I have memories coming back about conversations we had in my two-week deployment and the response for many weeks and months after. Thanks for letting me share.

Colin Chaperon

Arlington County Chapter – newly onboarded as a Local Disaster Volunteer (LDV) working the nightshift with Red Cross personnel at the Pentagon site

This day will forever be etched in my mind & heart; and my condolences are forever extended to all the families who lost loved ones on that day. I was a new resident in the northern Virginia; having previously volunteered with a local chapter of the America Red Cross in Gainesville, Florida. My life was in a positive transition personally and professionally and on that day, I had just returned home from dropping off our daughter at daycare on Ft. Myers and my wife at the Pentagon metro to get to her place of employment in D.C. 

After learning of this news on television and realizing the proximity to the area of our daycare, I tried multiple times to reach my wife with no luck. The phone towers were down. The saving grace was that I was able to place and receive calls from out-of-state, and she finally was able to contact family in FL who was able to relay messages to me. This experience reinforced in my mind the importance of having an out-of-town family phone tree to use in emergencies! 

I’m also reminded that having access to a relay system for emergency messaging is crucial. My task was to go and pick up our daughter. I drove as close to the area, had to park a couple miles away and walk towards the base. I managed to get to her and back home after a number of hours. From the next day onwards, I made contact with the local Arlington County Chapter of the American Red Cross – where I was onboarded as a Local Disaster Volunteer (LDV) working the nightshift with Red Cross personnel at the Pentagon site – providing logistics/relief support to the first responder community.

It was during this time that I met our late friend, George Saunders, a WW2 veteran who was our Chapter’s HAM radio operator. His call sign was: “KR4MU”. He was the communications link between our RC chapter HQs and our emergency response vehicles. He also supported the AARL – the Arlington Amateur Radio League (AARL) – serving to support another communications bridge transmitting messages across the radio waves. 

I’m constantly reminded for the need to always have Plan B, for when your Plan A fails. Like many Red Crosses, we worked for days and weeks supporting the community that makes countless sacrifices to save and comfort the lives of people impacted by disasters; man-made or otherwise. It was this event, and the call to duty that awakened my calling to the humanitarian sphere; focused on the immediate response. 

A few months later, I become Chapter staff overseeing aspects of local community preparedness, readiness, response, & recovery - supported by over 1000 Local Disaster Volunteers (LDVs) who were heeding the call of duty and wanted to support their community. Some of these humanitarians, former bosses, peers, acquaintances, have since become ‘Red Cross family’. We hold a shared duty to bring out the best in humanity. 

Since 2001, I have since built on the many experiences that I have lived through at the grass-roots level; managed regional response over a handful of years; before transitioning to support, manage, and lead response operations within our Red Cross network at the international level – across continents. Days became weeks, weeks became months, and months became years of service! 

I think back often and am reminded about the importance of the principles that guide the Incident Command System (ICS); how response mechanisms and structures are so important as we jointly manage through chaotic situations – where life, death, and recovery are the possibilities. 

The outpouring of unconditional offers of help, the culture of volunteerism, the lengthy hours, days, weeks and months of support, and the generosity of our fellow community neighbors is always remembered. I remain indebted to the thousands of people who impacted my life with their generosity of time, money, and supplies! 

Today, like every day, I stand in solidarity with everyone impacted by this unforgettable day; and with all who carry visible and invisible scars from this traumatic period. Lastly, Thank You to all fellow Red Cross personnel who served across the events in NY, VA, & PA; and who continue to serve day-in & day-out across the country and across the world. Together, we are stronger!

Earl Johnson’s prayer to conclude the Red Cross Remembrance Gathering – Sept 10, 2026

As we bring this time together to a close, we remember that September 11th is not only a date in history. It is a day carried in the lives of thousands of families. A day remembered by firefighters, police officers, paramedics, nurses, physicians, chaplains, volunteers, and ordinary people who suddenly found themselves doing extraordinary things.

We remember those who went to work that morning and never came home.  Their names will be read tomorrow. We remember those who ran toward danger when every instinct might have told them to run away. We remember those who searched, rescued, treated, comforted, prayed, listened, and simply stayed beside another human being when there were no words adequate for what had happened. And we remember something else. In the worst moments, people reached for one another. Strangers became neighbors. Neighbors became rescuers. Communities became families. 

Perhaps that is one of the lasting lessons of September 11th:  We cannot always prevent tragedy.

May our remembrance become more than memory. May it become compassion. May it make us kinder to the frightened, more patient with the grieving, more generous toward the stranger, and more courageous in the face of suffering. May we honor those who died not only by remembering how they left this world, but by remembering how precious it is that we are still here.

Still able to love. Still able to serve. Still able to comfort. Still able to build peace where there is division. Still able to choose hope.

Twenty-five years later, the most fitting memorial may be the lives we choose to live. Lives of courage rather than fear. Lives of compassion rather than indifference. Lives in which, when another person is hurting, we do not turn away. 

We move closer. 

We remember. 

And we take care of one another.

See a Special submission by American Red Cross of Greater New York

25 Years Later - Remembering 9/11 - Part 3

The following stories were collected via an event survey following ARCAN’s 9/11 Lessons Learned webinar. It is an anonymous survey, so unless the participant included their name in the story, we weren’t able to capture who submitted these beautiful stories.

PLEASE NOTE: If your story is listed as anonymous and you would like us to use your name, please email us at info@redcrossalumni.org. Include your name, where you responded on 9/11 or where you were then if you didn’t respond with Red Cross.

Anonymous

Mass Care lead in NJ

I entered ground zero on the morning of 9/13 with the governor of NJ, state troopers and his security detail. I was provided immediate entry. The governor and staff were immediately held for additional i.d. verification. It occurred to me how easily it would be for foreign operatives to gain access by just stealing vests. On the one hand it scared me and on the other hand it made me incredibly proud that the Red Cross logo was so immediately trusted. I worked as the Mass Care lead in NJ. It seemed that people didn't realize how many families lived in NJ that were impacted. Our workers in NJ felt unrecognized. I spent many hours after work in my hotel room braiding red, white, and blue yarn bracelets with one black thread woven in. At a staff meeting in HQ, I gave out dozens of the bracelets for staff to share with their volunteers in the field. These simple bracelets became coveted. I still have mine and wear it every Sept. 11th. It showed that we cared about each person working.

Anonymous

Sophomore Year of High School

I was in sophomore year of high school. We watched it live on tv in our class. I stepped out of classroom to use the restroom and saw an upperclassman senior screaming and crying in the hallway in front her classroom. She said her dad was on the flight from Dulles to CA. The teachers tried to comfort her and told her that we did not have confirmation yet, but she knew her dad’s flight number and was confident he did not miss his business trip flight. Unfortunately, she was right. In my early 20s I started to think about her and the victims more and began to feel anxiety and depression. Yesterday I found I out she became a Dr. so now I feel a bit better knowing she is doing ok.

Anonymous

NHQ for three weeks supporting the airport operations; then managed the Pier 94 Family Assistance Center

It was the best of times in the worst of times. Working both at NHQ for three weeks supporting the airport operations and then responding to manage the Pier 94 Family Assistance Center for first responders' families in NYC, I had a chance to support what was happening on the ground and then to work in the structure and partnerships which had been built. I have never been prouder of individuals, teams of individuals and of the ARC volunteers and paid staff who worked tirelessly in cooperation with other agencies and organizations to help the families who had lost loved ones in NYC. I don't talk about my 9/11 ARC experience very often but being a part of the greatest organization in the world and to see us in and to be part of the action was a privilege and an honor.

Anonymous

Inspired by Red Cross

I was working in telecom at the time, and 9/11 prompted me apply to work at the Red Cross. I was (and continue to be) so inspired by the work of the Red Cross in this and other disasters.

Anonymous

Elementary School Teacher

Was an elementary school teacher, at the time. In the middle of my reading groups, all my grade level team was pulled outside our classroom doors and given the news. We all returned to our classes and continued, as normal. Kinda reminds me of how President Bush was w/ 2nd graders & had to compartmentalize the info received and finish the current task, at hand, to limit what the young children were going to be facing later. I remember, sitting back down, w/ my students, but my mind briefly went to my brother-in-law that had meetings in the Trade Towers, another brother-in-law serving in the Army would attend Pentagon meetings and wanting to get my own kids home from school. At lunchtime, parents were picking up their kids in droves. After lunch...we had to keep things, as calm as possible, for the remaining students. It was eerie returning home, to bright sunshine & quiet outside, but allowed kids-to-be-kids playing outside and not glued to the tv.

Anonymous

Northeastern PA Blood Services

Was communications manager for Northeastern PA Blood Services during 9/11 when massive lines of people wanted to give blood. Because this was happening all over the country, it became apparent that as a system we would collect too many donations and units would have to be destroyed. We decided to cap our daily collections at a certain number and took control of the situation and our blood inventory. We took small blood drives off the books and boosted staff at facilities which could handle larger collections. Our chapters sent volunteers to help with the crowds of people, and it was all hands on deck for each member of the NEPA staff. Particularly poignant was a blood drive held in the Poconos, which had become a bedroom community for New York City. Buses left every morning for the city and for some, it was their final ride. For young kids, mommy or daddy didn't come home. It was gut wrenching. On a positive note, our plan worked and we didn't destroy a single donation.

Anonymous

Eerily Quiet

I already shared using the other link but was struck by Linda (Mathes's) memory of how eerily quiet it was in DC and Northern Virginia during those first few days. No planes, so many people staying home from work. It really did feel like we'd crossed into a new world, and there was no turning back.

Anonymous

NYC as a nurse practitioner with USPHS Commissioned Corps

I responded to 9/11 in NYC as a nurse practitioner with USPHS Commissioned Corps. I was a scared/excited junior officer and will never forget the kindness of the Red Cross volunteers providing food, hot coffee late at night and always offering encouragement and hope to us. I decided then that once I retired from active-duty uniformed service, I would volunteer with ARC.

Anonymous

Managed the Red Cross Family Assistance Center in Crystal City

My wife and I were in New York City with friends the weekend before 9/11 and we have a beautiful picture of the twin towers from the New Jersey shore; never realizing that within two days they would be rubble. We returned to Northern Virginia on Monday 9/10. I had a meeting scheduled at our downtown office for around 10 AM that dreadful Tuesday. As I was preparing to leave home, my wife broke the news to me that a plane had flown into the World Trade center building. Since I had scheduled the meeting, I knew that I could delay it for a few minutes and watched in horror as the second plane struck. At that point I forgot the meeting and continued to be glued to the TV. To this day, I can't remember who I was meeting with or the subject. All I know is had I left on time, that I would have been near the Pentagon when the plane hit. I was assigned as the Manager of the Red Cross Family Assistance Center in Crystal City where we processed grieving family members arriving in Washington.

Anonymous

Joined the Red Cross a couple of months after 9/11

I was in nursing school at the time having just departed a full-time EMT position and a volunteer firefighter role the month before and I was devastated by the loss of life of my fellow brothers and sisters responding to the call as well as the innocent victims and survivors from that day. I joined the Red Cross a couple of months later and this is my 25th year having served as both a volunteer and paid staff. I am grateful every day for the Red Cross mission and it is my greatest honor to continue as an ambassador for the Red Cross mission and brand! Thank you to all my colleagues who have served the long nights/days, traveled near and far and sacrificed so much for the greater good! We are all in all the time and forever Red Crossers! Be kind and volunteer passionately!

Anonymous

Emotional Scene

It was a beautiful fall day, and I was working for J&J at the time and my colleague in Florida called me from Florida to tell me about the plane flying into the World Trade Center. I immediately called my son who was working for Dewberry Engineering firm in NYC. It was one of the only calls that went through. He said they could hear all the sirens, etc. Then the next plane hit and we were talking via computer, and he told me when the South tower came down, etc. His college (University of Miami) were emailing around the country to see if everyone was safe. One of his friends was in the bldg adjacent and ended up over the Brooklyn Bridge as they all ran with the crowd. Days later she flew back home to Miami, and her big 7 finance company let her work from their office down there. My son took a train from NYC to Hamilton Station because he had just moved up to NYC and was in the process of moving into his apt. The next day many abandoned cars at the train station. Emotional scene!

Anonymous

Manhattan

I was living in Manhattan and getting ready for work. I was watching NY1 and saw the first plane go into the WTC without the news respondent even knowing it happened. It was crazy. Then all the questions about what it was, cause, etc. came up but that is when the 2nd plane hit. That was when it was clear it was an act of terrorism. Many people from my hometown, Manhasset, Long Island, died. Many people I grew up with and went to church with died that day. It is too much to even type without getting upset.

Anonymous

American Red Cross Retiree Association administrator

As the American Red Cross Retiree Association administrator at that time, I did not have hands-on experience with victims, but I noticed the focus and professionalism of Red Cross staff both as events unfolded and afterwards, as responses were communicated.

Anonymous

18th Street location in NHQ International Services in Tracing

I was working in the 18th Street location in NHQ International Services in Tracing. I remember Dr. Healy appearing at my cubicle. She was making the rounds asking if we were OK. I was very struck by her reassuring actions that day. By the time she came by we had watched out our windows as DC emptied out soon after the second plane hit. Cars were driving on the sidewalks in an effort to leave the city. It was a clear illustration as we left about 7 pm that night that the American Red Cross doesn't run when there is a disaster because people look to the organization for support. We were receiving phone calls from other national societies asking us for information in general and specifically about people from other countries who were known to have been working in the twin towers. Like other parts of the organization this was not business as usual for us but we developed a system to respond to the situation over the next few days.

See More Stories added on 9/14/2026 - Part 4

25 Years Later - Remembering 9/11 - Part 2

Frank Carroll

Responded at his local Red Cross in Hanover, Maryland

As REO for Mid-Atlantic Region on the early morning of 9/11 was flying on a small USAir plane from BWI to Newark to bring up an interim Exec to Jersey City. I had done this flight often leaving BWI around 8am. We arrived in EWR area around 9am and could see NYC buildings as we circled (clockwise) for several minutes. While we could see the burning towers we did not know at that time what we were looking at or why. We had a few announcements from the pilot, but they did not have much info. After several minutes we turned counterclockwise and began to head southwest. Knowing the area, I saw we were flying over Philly. The pilot announced we would be landing in Atlantic City. After landing around 10am the pilot announced they did not know what was going on, but we needed to get off the plane. I was on the phone and pager immediately, talked to the office and heard some of what was going on. Called travel agency then and got a rental car (we were lucky). Drove from Atlantic City back to BWI, cell service was on and off during the trip. After getting to BWI got my car and headed to our nearby office. Back at office (around 3pm) saw what was going on and started to contact NHQ and Chapter Offices. It was an interesting day!

Kathleen Krawulski

Blood Drive in Parma Ohio

I was on the early shift at a 2-shift blood drive at UH Parma Medical Center. At 10:30 am we had 15 pints of blood. When we closed 2 hours after the 2nd shift ended, we had 185 pints of blood. They had to send a second truck with more beds and supplies. Almost all the first shift staff stayed to work the 2nd shift. The donors were lined up down the hallway to the hospital entrance. It was like that at all the blood drives for the next month. A time of unity and brotherhood in our country.

Marilyn Vineyard

Chapter Exec. – SW Michigan

The buckets of cash being brought to the chapter prompted the local sheriff to assign a plain clothes deputy to be in our lobby every day for about 2 weeks for safety reasons; the number of calls and requests for presentations about what Red Cross response was and what the general population could do to help AND the outpouring of regular and new volunteers taking on more assignments whether deploying to the sites in NY or elsewhere OR helping locally with phone calls, sorting cash, etc.

Steve McAndrew

International delegate for American Red Cross based in Panama, at the IFRC Pan American Disaster Response Unit 

I was an international delegate for American Red Cross based in Panama, at the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) Pan American Disaster Response Unit (PADRU) on September 11, 2001. On September 12, a small twin-engine turboprop charter plane operated by Aero Ferinco crashed near Chichen Itza in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. The accident killed all 19 people on board, which included 16 American tourists from the Seattle, Washington area, along with one Mexican tour guide and two Mexican crew members. The 16 American passengers were University of Washington "Husky" football fans. They were on a Caribbean cruise aboard Holland America's MS Maasdam and had taken a side excursion flight to visit the ancient Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. 

Under the U.S. Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act, the American Red Cross maintains a dedicated protocol to assist families of aviation disasters upon their return home. For the families based in the Seattle and King County area, the local American Red Cross chapter provided standard post-disaster care, which included meeting grieving families at local airports, providing local crisis counseling, and connecting them with community-based support groups. But all flights to and from the USA were grounded at this time. 

I was deployed from Panama to Mexico as American Red Cross to provide support to the survivor’s family members. Some of the victim’s family were on the cruise but did not take the side tour. I was not trained for that work, but my boss in ARC HQ did not hesitate to tell me to go and help with what I could and I did not hesitate to get on a plane to Mexico. The Mexican Red Cross also helped. We did whatever we could, from helping with hotel reservations, taxis, interpretation with authorities and any other thing needed. 

Because of the raw emotions, national trauma and 24/7 news coverage of the 9/11 attacks that dominated all coverage, the crash in Mexico garnered little to no public attention. All attention was in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Yet, American Red Cross had to help these people in Yucatan Mexico…and we did. 

For the families we dealt with, it was and never will be forgotten. We had a great ARC team that went to the morgue a few days prior to help the families identify victims that were burned beyond recognition. I remember a surreal moment, when I was sitting with the surviving family members, in the Cancun airport, as they were waiting to finally fly home after flights resumed. All the television monitors were repeating images of the twin towers falling. I was sitting next to the parents of one of the victims, and I didn’t know what to say. So, I didn’t say anything. I bought some coffee for them, and we watched in silence. The news coverage was starting to recognize the 9/11 victims. In the terminal, passengers were crowding the gate area, conversations, and energy of the room swirled around about the 9/11 attacks. 

Many tourists were inconvenienced and commenting on the situation as flights were able to fly again. But the parents I was sitting with, were in a kind of daze. Me too. I was proud to be part of the Red Cross at that moment, because we were in the places nobody was going, helping people who are forgotten, and doing what others do not, in the middle of chaos. I felt like the Red Cross was the only entity that cared about these people at that moment. This is what we are supposed to do. Cover the needs that others do not, for the forgotten people, all over the world, no matter what is going on in other places.

Donna Taylor

Retired Chapter Manager – Responded to Disaster Services at NHQ 

I was called in to HQ to assist. I spent a lot of time on the phone responding to the families of victims and participating in the daily problem-solving issues. 9/11 was my final disaster response.

Helen DuBois

San Francisco, CA - On FEMA assignment in Honolulu, Hawaii to head up a workshop for emergency managers from across the Hawaiian Islands

After 20 years with ARC, I went to work for FEMA Region IX in San Francisco, CA. On 9/11, I was in Honolulu on a FEMA assignment to head up a workshop for emergency managers from across the Hawaiian Islands. The phone in my hotel room woke me up from a dead sleep, very early that morning. My daughter in a panic, calling me from her home near San Francisco, urging me to turn on the TV! NYC was being bombed! I groggily turned on the TV just in time to see the second plane hit the second tower. Hurriedly dressing, I sped to the FEMA office on a military base nearby, where we were told to park along the street and wait at the security gate. The base had immediately been locked down. As each of us was vetted, we were allowed into our offices and briefed on how to proceed with whatever tasks would be needed in this emergency. Needless to say, the workshop was scrapped, and assignments were given to each of us, some to report to the Hawaii Emergency Headquarters in Diamond Head, some to relay requests at the office. We were a busy crew. 

The eerie lack of sound was my first impression. No planes were in the air! That familiar sound was resumed somewhat on day 3, when 2 military flights a day were authorized to the mainland. Who knew that essential medical tests were done in Seattle for patients in Hawaii, blood supplies came from the mainland, and tourists needed cash from the ATMs to pay for their extended stays! There were so many reasons that the tie with the mainland had to be maintained. It was quite a heads up on how tied together the islands and the mainland are! As we fielded requests and dealt with ways to resolve them, a process emerged, and little by little life returned to as normal as possible. 

I was given a seat on one of the first passenger flights from Hawaii, and I can tell you, the line of fellow passengers was an uneasy one. But as the flight crew came in, they each stopped along the line, reassuring us, chatting with a few and presenting us all with a sense of calm. Needless to say, the flight was perfect, and the captain shared little reports with us along the way, turbulent spots, beautiful cloud formations, and a perfect landing at SFO in San Francisco. 

Elizabeth Wixom

NY Penn Region Blood Services 

I had been working at the NY Penn Region Blood Services in Rochester NY for 1-1/2 years. That day I witnessed the planes hit the towers on TV while still at home but still didn't comprehend what the day would bring. At first; I tried to just do my regular job, since I really didn't know what else to do. But soon realized that was impossible, so I went looking for someone to tell where I could best help. Looking out the window, there were cars lining down the road as far as you could see. So, I was asked to head down to the donor room to help in any way I could. To say the room was chaos would be an understatement. The waiting area was filled with people, and the lobby was also starting to fill up. The volunteers at the desk were so overwhelmed, so I just started taking down names of people as they came in. At this time, we were assuming there would be a great need for blood, so we asked people if they knew their blood type and if they were O negative they were prioritized. 

The thing that impressed me most was even with all the chaos, everyone was just so patient and appreciative of being able to do something to help. People waited for several hours to donate. Local groceries brought food and beverages for the donors and staff. People stayed until well after midnight. But the person I remember most of all was a young Muslim woman in a hijab who sat alone in a chair and quietly waited to donate; her head bowed in silence. I think that was one of the bravest things I witnessed that day.

Samuella Becker

New York City – Red Cross 9/11 PR volunteer served12-hour shifts while VP at NYC PR agency, Stanton Crenshaw; she later served "on call" for 9 years

Article in the Observer, 10/01/2001:  Heroes of P.R. by Ralph Gardner Jr.

One might not immediately think of women in public relations among the heroes helping the city recover from the World Trade Center tragedy. But a small army of them, equipped with their cell phones and Rolodexes, have flocked to Red Cross headquarters on the Upper West Side since the tragedy to serve as spokeswomen, escort TV crews around the crash site, write press releases, answer the phones and even get coffee. 

They included Karen Bailey, Glamour magazine’s director of public relations; Jamie Drogin, an associate at Burson-Marsteller; Laura van Straaten, an independent television producer; and Samuella Becker, vice president at Stanton Crenshaw whose clients range from CIT Group Inc., the financial-services giant, to uDate, the world’s largest Internet dating company.

At a recent meeting of the women, Anne Sommers, the American Red Cross of Greater New York’s official director of public relations, said she looked around the room and thought: “This is like a sorority party [where] everybody is attractive, articulate and well-connected.”

And Type A. Recalling the multitasking talent of one female flack, Ms. Sommers said: “While getting an NBC producer on the line, she was cleaning my desk at the same time.”

Rosemary Callahan

3 years old in 2001, now Regional Client Care Manager with the Red Cross in Missoula, Montana

I was just three and a half years old, but I remember. On our living room TV, I watched the news broadcast the footage of the towers falling. My mom was calling my aunt (her sister) who lived, and still lives, in Washington Square Village. My dad had been sent home from his job at the Atlanta VA, and I knew it was strange for him to be home in the middle of the morning on a weekday. Thankfully, my aunt was safe. But after that day, none of the grown-ups in my life acted the same. They all got older overnight. I may have been too young to understand what happened, but I wasn't too young to understand the undeniable fear that my parents and so many adults around me felt. In fact, I felt afraid-- of what, I didn't know. Now, I am twenty-eight. Older people sometimes speak to me and my cohorts about 9/11 like we're too young to understand. But we remember. This is a part of our lives, too. 

Lauri Hanna

Oklahoma City Chapter - From helping victims recovering from the OKC Bombing to deploying to New York City 

My first job after college was with the American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma, supporting families still recovering from the Oklahoma City bombing. That led me to working with the local press whenever we responded to fires and tornadoes that came through our state regularly. The May 3, 1999 F5 tornado was my first big disaster. It remains the deadliest our state has seen, with 40 fatalities, 675 injuries, and 1,800 homes destroyed.

Living in tornado alley, I never left Oklahoma to help other communities recover after a disaster. Volunteers always seemed to come to us. That changed on September 11, 2001.

I was running a few minutes late for work that morning when the radio announcer said a small plane had just hit the World Trade Center. Just as I walked into the Red Cross building, I watched another plane hit the second tower on our lobby television. That was when it became clear this was no accident, and our chapter went to work gathering information to support the national response. Teams of volunteers began assembling for deployment almost immediately. I wanted to go too, but I was the only person on our team who worked with media, so I needed to wait.

Just before Thanksgiving, I arrived in New York City for a two-week post. I was shuttled from the airport to the Red Cross chapter in the Bronx to get processed, receive my ID, and get my assignment. I spent my days in different communications roles, helping get information to families through the media. It was strange being in a city I had visited many times, now marked so clearly by what had happened two months earlier. Stranger still was seeing it decorated for Christmas, life moving forward while the recovery work was still very much active. Even in November, the smell of burning was distinct enough that I can still recall it. At one site, I had to walk through a decontamination zone just to enter and exit, because we were so close to where the towers had collapsed.

In two weeks, I made lifelong friends among the volunteers and staff who came from across the country. We worked long, hard hours, and our sites changed every few days, along with the hotels we stayed in. The Red Cross put us up wherever they could get a discount. My first hotel was old and drafty, with lights that flickered on their own. Later I stayed near Times Square in a hotel that felt worlds away from the work we were doing. Over those two weeks, I worked at four different locations across lower Manhattan, including an old AT&T building, Pier 94, and a respite center at St. John's University Manhattan campus.

Even with how hard and stressful the work was, we found time in the evenings to explore the city together. We saw the Radio City Rockettes' Christmas show and walked to Rockefeller Plaza to see the tree.

One day stands out clearly. I was assigned to accompany a family for an interview with the BBC, overlooking what everyone called "The Pit." I remember preparing them for what to expect, then being crammed into a tiny room with an even smaller balcony, reporters and a camera crew all trying to fit into a shot that also captured what was left of the World Trade Center behind us.

At one site, celebrities showed up to serve food alongside everyone else. Every experience felt surreal, and by the time I flew home, I knew I had been changed by it.

That experience shaped how I've worked and communicated in every job since. It taught me how quickly strangers can pull together, how much stress a person can actually carry, and how much it matters to show up for the work in front of you. Whenever I've seen something go wrong in a workplace, it almost always comes back to communication, in how it happens, when it happens, and who it reaches.

25 years later, I still carry those two weeks with me. It's strange to realize that something that shaped who I am today is, to my teenage children, just a page in a history book. They can't fully understand what it was like to live through it, and I hope with everything in me that they never have to. 

The following stories were collected via an event survey following ARCAN’s 9/11 Lessons Learned webinar. It is an anonymous survey, so unless the participant included their name in the story, we weren’t able to capture who submitted these beautiful stories.

PLEASE NOTE: If your story is listed as anonymous and you would like us to use your name, please email us at info@redcrossalumni.org. Include your name, where you responded on 9/11 or where you were then if you didn’t respond with Red Cross.

Anonymous

Disaster Spiritual Care - respite centers around Ground Zero, the D-Mort/T-Mort and the Landfill on Staten Island

Having led the Disaster Spiritual Care team through the mid-weeks of September and early October, I had the honor of serving three distinct areas, the three respite centers around Ground Zero, the D-Mort/T-Mort and the Landfill on Staten Island. Key memories - the road to the landfill as debris from Ground Zero was brought to massive piles where aircraft parts and tower parts were piled before massive conveyor belts with hundreds of FBI agents all in biohazard suits standing sorting and sifting at every conveyor belt. The road was scattered with a trail all the way from the water barges to the top of the hill and the trail was a trail of shoes all the way up. My driver said, "did you notice the shoes?" When I looked, I realized these were symbolic of what I saw at the Holocaust museum years later, and the poem on the wall read: "We are the shoes, we are the last witnesses. ...And because we are only made of fabric and leather not blood and flesh - each of us avoided the hellfire."

Click for part 3

25 Years Later - Remembering 9/11 

The 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York City, the Pentagon and Shanksville is a time to remember those who lost their lives, honor survivors and their families, recognize the extraordinary efforts of first responders and relief workers, and reinforce the importance of preparedness, resilience and service in our communities.

This 25^th anniversary also is an important moment to remember and recognize the tremendous work by so many Red Cross staff and volunteers to respond to a nation facing a new normal after a series of attacks that had been considered unimaginable. 

The American Red Cross Alumni Network (ARCAN) asked those who responded to 9/11 to share their memories and stories from those days, when one of the worst days for our nation brought out the best of its people. 

ARCAN thanks everyone with the Red Cross across the country who responded to 9/11; and we are grateful to those who have shared their stories 25 years later.

Earl Johnson

NHQ and Spiritual Care Aviation Incident Response (SAIR) Team 

I moved from lower Manhattan to Arlington, Virginia, on September 9, 2001. I looked back on the Twin Towers after transiting the Holland Tunnel glimmering in the light from the sunset. I was in our backyard in Arlington when I heard the plane hit the Pentagon. Seven World Trade Center fell on my classroom where I taught at Borough of Manhattan Community College. I joined the American Red Cross national headquarters soon after to manage disaster spiritual care and join work that continued supporting families and loved ones in New York City, Arlington, and Shanksville. I would be at NHQ for the next ten years. I worked next to Jane Morgan and Susan Hamilton. It has been the honor of my lifetime serving those so profoundly impacted by the events of September 11th.

Katharine Kim 

The Pentagon and WTC

People ask why I'm getting a little (a lot) sentimental on this 25th anniversary of September 11. I was at the Pentagon about 5 hours after it was hit. It was my first day as a Red Cross Disaster Relief volunteer, after five and a half years as a communicator and fundraiser for the Arlington County Chapter. I handed out water, snacks, and sometimes hugs to military personnel and first responders who were still standing in the wreckage of that morning. One of our own Red Cross volunteers was the mother of one of the pilots on the plane that hit the building we were standing outside of. A few months later, I was deployed to the World Trade Center site -- this time in disaster public affairs, helping people affected by 9/11 get help, and helping people who weren't affected figure out how they could give help.

Louie Avila

Greater New York Chapter – Immediately deployed to the Twin Towers

I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you from the [affected] Chapter perspective. As one of the 5 of us that ran from the towers and had to shake the dust off and keep going, all of you that came in support of us, and those affected will never be forgotten. I truly believe many of you saved lives by the work you did- including those of us working the operation in our backyard. Regards to all my friends and colleagues.

Stephanie Millian

Biomedical Communications, NHQ 

I'll never forget September 11, 2001. I was at my desk in the New England Region when the attacks occurred. Within hours, people were lined up outside blood donation centers across the country, eager to help. As the blood supply quickly became strong and it became clear there would be few survivors needing transfusions, I believed it was important to communicate honestly with the public. I issued a press release throughout New England encouraging people to support the response in other meaningful ways rather than continue donating blood unnecessarily. It was a reminder that our responsibility isn't just to inspire people to act—it's also to provide clear, accurate guidance when circumstances change.

Cristina Hammond 

New Hampshire/Vermont Chapter - 6-12-2002

I went to New York City October 5 as a volunteer member of the American Red Cross’s Disaster Services Human Response team and was assigned for 25 days to a Respite Center in the Marriott Financial Center, 85 West St.—2 buildings south of the south tower. I spent my days with the workers at ground zero - police, fire, construction, sanitation, FEMA, OSHA, Secret Service, FBI, Army, Navy -to name a few. What I remember most, what I'd like to share with you, are images - small snapshots of my time there that assailed my senses and touched my soul. 

Most of my images are studies in contrast, yet from contrast I've found balance. A few of the special images that come to mind: The day I arrived at the Marriott was the first day it opened as a Respite Center. Coming in the door of this upscale hotel we had to step over debris and navigate around newly placed electrical cables and special salvage equipment there to dry out the building. We had no heat or air conditioning, no clean water, inconsistent electricity, and everything that wasn't filthy was covered with plastic. But by days end, we had served 7000 meals to the workers at ground zero, given out untold numbers of hard hats, respirators, clean socks, overalls, boots, and other equipment, and had turned banquet and meeting rooms into sleeping areas, first aid, counseling and relaxation rooms. 

One of the strongest visual images was of a young black army reservist who came in one day needing to rest. At over 6 feet, dressed in battle fatigues and armed, he was by all accounts the picture of health, masculinity and raw power. I escorted him to our sleeping area, and he asked if I would wake him in 15 minutes. When I returned to do so, I found him fast asleep, with combat boots, gun and equipment neatly stacked next to the cot, lying curled up on his side naked from the waist up and hugging a donated white teddy bear. 

Another image was auditory: After a week or so, we set up a row of donated video games in the "Oasis room" our relaxation area. I didn't think much of it until two men started playing some car racing game and we suddenly heard them laugh - a sound most of us hadn't heard in days or weeks there. We looked at each other and smiled. Sometimes a simple look said a lot. 

Once while carrying a load of supplies through the respite center, I dropped something as I passed a group of exhausted firemen quietly waiting in chairs for a turn with the chiropractor or massage therapist. Before I could retrieve the fallen item, the fireman closest to me jumped up, came over, picked it up and placed it back on the pile of things I was carrying. He was already turning away as I said, "Thank you" then he stopped, looked me in the eye and, after a long pause, said, "No, thank you. We don't know how we'd do this without you." 

Who were some of the extraordinary people working there, "doing this" with me? A manager at the Marriott who was there September 11th and who hadn't slept since but came to work with us every day asking what he could do to make our job easier. The two old Italian construction workers who made it a point to find me and say "hello" and "thank you" every day at lunch. The young firefighter who had been searching every day - he was off on September 11th and lost every person on his shift. There were the Otis Elevator maintenance men who worked tirelessly to repair elevator after elevator after elevator…. The Puerto Rican maid who came daily – always with a smile on her face - to help clean the restrooms for us and who cried the day I left. The construction foreman who left his crew on the 85th floor of tower 2 at 8:30 in the morning to go check on another site - he was back every day to honor his friends and co- workers. 

When I think of last fall, I picture New England at the height of foliage season - crisp fall air, the smell of freshly baked apple pies, and the laughter of children jumping in piles of colorful leaves. I shift my focus to Time Square (where my hotel was) – here your senses are equally assaulted by color and sound and life but it's quite a contrast from Hanover. Finally, I picture lower Manhattan 3 weeks after the collapse of the twin towers. The air is acrid; everything is covered with a thick coat of dust. It’s the dust of 21st century life, the crushed remnants of concrete, wallboard, glass, and metal, of desks and chairs and computers and wiring and - human beings. It’s the dust of 21st century death. The images there didn’t just assault your senses; they violated your senses and your sensibilities. 

How can man do this to man? How can we survive and go on? How will our lives change? Man does these things because we are capable of turning passionate hatreds into heinous actions. We will survive and go on because man is capable of turning passionate goodness into heroic acts. Our passions and actions are no more new than our fears and inactions. The world is not a different place nor are we a different people but we've just been tragically reminded of how precious and fragile life is, how strong the human spirit is, and that it is our responsibility to live in a way that honors each of us and never forgets. 

I went to New York with an emptiness in me. I had lost my faith in mankind and was fearful for our future. I came back from New York with strengthened faith. I was humbled by what I saw and who I met and by the privilege of being a Red Cross worker, an American, a human being. Thank you for allowing me to serve and supporting me while I did so. 

Anna Caldwell

Arlington County Chapter; NHQ DOCC

When 9/11 hit, I worked in IT at National Headquarters. We were having an off-site at my director’s house. Someone called and said we were under attack, to turn on the TV. We did and watched the second tower fall. We sat in stunned silence for what seemed like a long time but was probably just a few moments, and then Mary Schafle, who supported Disaster Services, said quietly, "I need to go" and left for the DOCC. The rest of us stayed long enough to hear about the Pentagon, and then we all left one by one and headed home. 

I remember driving home looking furtively at the sky. I had been working at Jefferson Park for a little over a year, and my customer was Health & Safety Services. Cristina Vetrano and I were working on the first pilot of online learning for teaching H&S classes. When the attack occurred, I think many of us felt initially at loose ends. How could we help? 

The Arlington County chapter was the focal point for the Pentagon response and was also one of our blended learning pilot chapters, and Cristina and I called our contact there. We asked how we could help, and they said they needed "intelligent people to answer the damned phones" and that's what we did. A blur of days of answering phones, trying to connect the public to ways they could help, eating sandwiches made by well-meaning co-eds and cupcakes and cookies baked by scouting groups, hauling donated food at the end of the everyday to local shelters. 

From there I joined an IT rotation in the DOCC. Armed with a list of phone numbers for all the software developers for every platform Disaster Services, used along with an equally long list of acronyms for the systems and services they supported. If anything went wrong with a system, my job was to track down the person accountable for that system. I knew very little about Disaster Services, about the complexities of a response. I remember being nervous, hoping I would be fast enough, knowing how important every cog in the wheel really was. 

Maybe ten days after the attack, Cristina and I were on a plane to continue our pilot work for blended learning. Getting on a plane no longer felt like a normal thing to do. I remember walking through the airport, stunned when I first encountered a soldier, automatic weapon across his chest. Nobody was smiling. A sea of fatigues and guns surrounded us as we clumsily attempted to comply with a host of new security requirements. There were barely any people on that first flight. I studied every face as I walked down the aisle to take my seat. I bet they were studying my face, too. I spent the entire flight wondering what I would do if we were hijacked, and flinching every time someone got up to use the restroom.

Bee Kong 

Red Cross youth volunteer in Long Beach, CA – served as blood donor ambassador

I was a youth volunteer when 9/11 happened, the summer before starting undergrad at UCLA. I remember seeing the news and feeling helpless to do something, so I went to my local Red Cross chapter in Long Beach, CA and saw the longest line of people waiting to donate blood because they wanted a way to give back. I helped volunteer as a donor ambassador that day and became an employee in 2005 after graduating. 25 years later, I'm serving as the Executive Director for our Western Los Angeles Chapter and appreciate my time as a youth volunteer being involved in meaningful service and 9/11 was part of that journey. Proud to be a Red Crosser and be connected to each of you in service.

Click for Part 2

President's Corner - July 2026

by Becky McCorry

It’s hard to believe that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were nearly 25 years ago. Some days, it feels like it was just yesterday; other times it feels like it was eons ago.

I was the New York State disaster lead for the Red Cross when the planes hit the World Trade Center, struck the Pentagon and crashed into the field in Shanksville, PA. But I saw that one of the worst days for our nation brought out the best in our nation as we helped with the response and the recovery.

And our work continues for you and the people who were part of the 9/11 response.

The American Red Cross Alumni Network (ARCAN) has been working to ensure that Red Cross staff and volunteers involved in the response and recovery efforts are aware of ongoing federal government programs to address health claims related to those efforts in New York, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania. 

We hosted a webinar in June with leaders of the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund, a federal program set up to compensate people for health claims related to the response and recovery. They went through the three-step process for people to register with the fund, get their claims certified and then be compensated if eligible.

The Victims Compensation Fund has already received more than 109,000 claims and paid more than $17.8 billion to 74,000 claims.

Here’s the main point: If you were part of the response and recovery and on the scene, look into getting registered. Go to VCF.gov to learn more and register.

In addition, we are planning an ARCAN webinar looking back on the 9/11 attacks and the Red Cross efforts featuring key leaders in the response. Information on this session is below in this newsletter.

As our nation commemorates the 25^th anniversary of the attacks in September, I will hold every Red Cross staff member and volunteer who was part of our work in my heart. Thank you for being there when we were needed.

September will have another big milestone, our first ARCAN in-person gathering in Philadelphia! This “3UNION” on September 25-27 is being held in partnership with the American Red Cross Overseas Association (ARCOA) and a group of former and current Red Cross disaster services staff and volunteers. 

This gathering is open to both current and former American Red Cross employees and volunteers. More information on the event and registration is in this newsletter.

Join us to reconnect and reminisce, share stories and strengthen the bonds that have always made this network so special. 

Becky

ATTN: ARCAN Family 

We are excited about our first ARCAN in-person gathering, which will be in Philadelphia on September 25-27 and held in partnership with the American Red Cross Overseas Association (ARCOA) and a group of former and current Red Cross disaster services staff and volunteers. 

This “3Union” will bring together a range of former and current Red Crossers to meet in person to reconnect and reminisce, share stories and strengthen the bonds that have always made this network so special. While we all worked in different parts of the organization, our Red Cross experience unites us.

Our members tell us that one of the reasons they are part of ARCAN is to reconnect and this event is a great opportunity to do that in person! 

Each group has its own agenda and meeting times in Philadelphia; we will collaborate on events that bring Red Crossers together across lines of service.  

This gathering is open to both current and former American Red Cross employees and volunteers —we hope to create an event that reflects the full breadth of our shared experience. I believe it may be the start of more partnerships and collaborations among Red Cross alumni groups.

The main hotel will be the Wyndham in the historic district of Philadelphia, and ARCAN members also have the option of booking at other hotels in the area.

We are exploring local museums, wineries and the Philadelphia Phillies have home games Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. ARCAN also will be able to join ARCOA events such as a Saturday dinner where they will honor people who served with Service to the Armed Forces. 

Look for more information on activities at the 3Union and how to register in the days and weeks ahead.

Red Cross Pension Management Changes

Another matter of interest to a number of ARCAN members is the change occurring to the administration of the Red Cross pension. The bottom line is that your pension amount should not change; what will be different is the insurer issuing the pension payments.

People still in the pension system should have received a letter in the mail from Red Cross NHQ earlier this month about this. Please know that ARCAN continues to be in close contact with the Red Cross about this matter; we have an article on the change in this newsletter and will be sharing updates on the ARCAN website.

Remembering ARCAN with a Bequest

I also want to recognize the support for ARCAN from retirees such as Maurice Levite, who is featured in this newsletter. Maurice has left a bequest in his will to ARCAN because he believes in the importance of an organization that supports former Red Cross staff and volunteers. A few months ago, ARCAN also received a donation from the estate of long-time Red Crosser Dave Denton. 

These kinds of financial support for ARCAN through a gift in a will or estate are greatly appreciated.

Best, 

Becky

President’s Corner 

From Becky McCorry

I’d like to start with a big shout: SPRING IS AROUND THE CORNER! After the wild weather many of us have experienced these past few months, that feels especially good to say.

I also want to take this opportunity to share our plans for 2026 and respond to several questions that have come up over the past year. If I had to summarize our primary focus for this year in four words, it would be:

GROWTH IN OUR MEMBERSHIP

But before we look ahead, let’s take a moment to reflect on what we’ve accomplished over the past 20 months. Together, we have:

These accomplishments are significant—and they are the result of your engagement and commitment.

Here Are Frequently Asked Questions I want to address:

Q1: How many members are in ARCAN?

Currently, we have:

Q2: What is ARCAN’s annual budget?

Our annual budget is $27,967. Approximately 75% supports contractors (600 hours annually) who:

Q3: Does the National American Red Cross financially support ARCAN?

Yes. National Headquarters provides $5,000 annually to support technology expenses and maintain the Retiree Helpline. We hope that support will grow in the future to support the amazing network of Red Crossers who are part of ARCAN.

Q4: How many calls does the Retiree Helpline receive?

Last year, we received and replied to 124 inquiries; and over the past five years we received and replied to 1,110 inquiries.

Q5: Why should someone join ARCAN?

How Will We Achieve Growth?

You elected a talented and dedicated 19-member Board of Directors. The Board has adopted a two-year business plan through December 2027 focused on sustainability and expansion. Our strategy includes:

But most importantly:

We need each and every one of you to be part of growing this community – to recruit one new member, get involved and consider making a donation.

Since June 2024, when we transitioned to an alumni network, 244 new members have joined ARCAN. We are deeply grateful for your recruitment efforts and ongoing support. Continued growth will allow us to sustain our current services and expand new offerings—supporting alumni connections and interactions, increasing lifesaving training opportunities, offering guidance to retirees and more.

ARCAN is a living alumni community—built by and for Red Cross people.

Thank you for being part of it.

Becky

Until Help Arrives - Red Cross Training FREE to ARCAN Members Through June 3, 2026

Step-by-Step to Sign-up and Coupon Code

Start at this link: RedCross.org

Course Content

According to our recent webinar presented by Cassandra Wagner of American Red Cross Internal Training, more than 350,000 people suffer cardiac arrest each year in the U.S. and 71% of those cardiac arrests happen at home. The course, developed in collaboration with the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), will educate and empower you to act and provide lifesaving care when you are the first on the scene. It is a non-certification online course and provides basic, yet critical key actions that can be taken during a life-threatening emergency that can help sustain or save a life until EMS arrives:

·       Act with Confidence

·       AED Basics

·        Identification and care for choking

·       Life-threatening bleeding treatment

·       Overdose response

The format includes a combination of video, reading and knowledge checks. You may go back to review sections before proceeding to the next section.

Recovery, Inspiration and Caring for the Workforce - 20 Years After Hurricane Katrina

The Facts: Katrina – Largest Response Ever

August 29 marked the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall in Buras, Louisiana, about 60 miles southeast of New Orleans. The Category 3 storm was the costliest in U.S. history, totaling $125B, and among the deadliest killing nearly 1,400 people.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin issued a mandatory evacuation order 21 hours before landfall. Although 80% of the city’s population managed to flee, 100,000 to 150,000 remained. When the storm struck, it breached levees guarding the city and 10 inches of rain placed 20% of the city underwater within hours, and 80% within days. The Louisiana Superdome, serving as a shelter for tens of thousands of residents, was beset by resource failures. Katrina caused the largest US migration since the 1930s Dust Bowl, with the city’s population down 20% from 2000. (Source: 1440 Daily)

As reported by the American Red Cross, the largest single disaster relief effort ever undertaken by the organization was the response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In addition to killing so many people, the storm left millions homeless. Hurricanes Rita and Wilma followed soon after, worsening the devastation. 

In the largest sheltering operation in its history, the Red Cross opened nearly 1,400 evacuation shelters in 27 states and the District of Columbia. More than 3.8 million overnight shelter stays were provided. More than 90 kitchens were set up to prepare meals. Five days after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, the Red Cross served nearly one million meals in a single day. More than 68 million meals were served during the response. More than 244,000 disaster workers, 95 percent of them volunteers, responded to help the hurricane survivors. More than 4 million people received emergency assistance through the Red Cross.

 

Perspectives: Kay Wilkins and Jack Herrmann on Hurricane Katrina, 9/11, Central Texas Floods and Care for the Workforce

Two Red Crossers’ share perspectives on being impacted, taking care of their staff, responding to big disasters and now what Red Cross is doing to support its workforce 20 years after Hurricane Katrina and 14 years after 9/11. Thank you to Kay Wilkins, Jack Herrmann and every single Red Cross responder!

“When I think back on Hurricane Katrina, I think of the resilience of people, how the landscape changed for all people affected and for the Red Cross. Red Cross demonstrated its ability to change and adapt. I also think of the stories of my staff, and how many of them had to work in a challenging environment that they were not trained for.”

– Kay Wilkins

Kay Wilkins

Kay Wilkins worked for the American Red Cross for 45 years, before retiring last February. She was the CEO for the Southeast Louisiana Chapter of the American Red Cross when Hurricane Katrina, and resulting rains and levee breaks, flooded 80% of New Orleans. Several years after Katrina, she was selected for President Barack Obama's "Champions of Change" program that honored everyday Americans doing extraordinary work to make a difference in their communities

During the response and recovery phases of Hurricane Katrina, Kay and her team worked tirelessly to meet the needs of her community, but at a time when others took only lessons about organizational response from Katrina, she declared that her chapter would become a leader in community preparedness and resilience building. Programs like “The Pillowcase Project” to help kids prepare for evacuation and “Senior Preparedness Packs” to help seniors be ready originated under Kay’s direction. The Pillowcase Project became a nationwide model for preparedness.

Following the hurricane, Red Cross was able to hire art therapists and teachers who were out of work due to the hurricane. The Pillowcase Program actually sprung out of a preparedness program piloted to help local college kids pack what they needed for evacuations into their pillowcases. The program was next tailored for children in grades 1 through 3, teaching them what to do if they were scared in a disaster. It involved lessons in disaster preparedness, what to take with you in your pillowcase during an evacuation, and teachers could send preparedness information for their families home with the children. The program evolved nationwide, with modules for earthquakes, fires, and other disasters for children K-3 then later K-6. 

When asked what she remembers first when thinking back on the Katrina response, Kay said, “I think of the resilience of people, how the landscape changed for all people affected and for the Red Cross. Red Cross demonstrated its ability to change and adapt. I also think of the stories of my staff, and how many of them had to work in a challenging environment that they were not trained for.” 

“We had AmeriCorps workers who only trained for three weeks then deployed, and they did Herculean things,” she remembered. “One in her late teens was managing a shelter when supplies were running out. She had to ration food and water. For example, one cup had a line drawn on it to the level that it could be filled for each person. She had to adapt and persevere. I still think of her today.”

“I also remember the faces of my chapter’s Board of Directors,” said Kay. “We’d meet in Baton Rouge, since people were scattered. We’d come together to identify unmet needs, and whichever Board member could best help, would step up and make the connections we needed… I also remember a particular conversation with Becky McCorry who had come to help from National Headquarters. We were discussing how to best help our staff face the next day. She said, ‘Focus on each hour, what you have to do that hour.’ I still think about her counsel. She was a much-needed advocate and mentor to me at that time.” 

Kay sees great progress in how the American Red Cross cares for its own disaster workforce now. “Katrina served as a starting point for conversation about how we take care of others, but not our own staff. We needed to not only see how workers were physically but also mentally. We also needed to be prepared to backfill for staff who were affected by a disaster directly.”

“Today there is more of an intentional desire to support staff,” she said. “I think Katrina, to a degree, overshadows Hurricane Ida, which was also devastating to so many. Our home was 87% destroyed by Ida, and Red Cross sent representatives to come check on me personally at my house every few days. They were great.”

“If we don’t take care of our employees and volunteers, we can’t shine as bright.”

Kay started with Red Cross as a volunteer lifeguard at Auburn University. In addition to leading the Southeast Louisiana Chapter after Hurricane Katrina, she also played a big role in Georgia as interim CEO and is the retired director of External Relations for the Southeast and Caribbean Division American Red Cross. and volunteers with the Red Cross. She especially likes her role as an executive sponsor (mentor) in the Caribbean. Kay still lives in New Orleans, has three kids and three grandchildren.

Her diligence and commitment to disaster survivors, her staff and the future of preparedness will forever be remembered by many a Red Crosser. When Kay retired, her staff in Georgia wrote, “Kay’s countless hugs, empathetic ear and kind heart have left a lasting impression on all of us. We are forever grateful.”

“Not all disasters are the same. A reaction can be triggered by some and not others. No matter how seasoned you are, you may not be immune to the psychological challenges caused by the next disaster or seeing news reports of a crisis years ago. There may be delayed affects. Be open to this, especially around anniversary dates.”
- Jack Herrmann

Jack Herrmann

We spoke with Jack Herrmann, Senior Director, Client Care in Disaster Cycle Services, after he had just returned from two weeks of R&R vacationing on a river cruise in the Netherlands and Belgium following his service as the Mass Fatality Task Group Chief in the Red Cross response to the Central Texas Floods. Jack also worked on TWA Flight 800 following 9/11, the recent DCA Airline crash in Washington D.C., Hurricanes Sandy and Rita, and the Pulse Nightclub Shooting. He lives in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Jack’s current leadership role for Red Cross national headquarters encompasses the Client Care Program including Disaster Health, Disaster Mental Health (DMH), Spiritual Care, Disaster Disability Integration, and more.

He worked as the Client Services Administrator for Disaster Heath, Mental Health and Spiritual Care services for two weeks in Baton Rouge, LA at the beginning of the Katrina response. For the 9/11 response he was a Disaster Mental Health volunteer in New York City, and the New York State Lead for Disaster Mental Health while living in Rochester.

We asked Jack what people should expect with the heightened retrospective news coverage around Hurricane Katrina and 9/11. He said, “Not all disasters are the same. A reaction can be triggered by some disasters and not others. No matter how seasoned you are, you may not be immune to the psychological challenges caused by the next disaster or seeing news reports of a crisis years ago. There may be delayed affects. Be open to this, especially around anniversary dates.”

“For example, I realized one year after 9/11 while having coffee on my porch that it felt like a fog just lifted from my brain,” Jack remembered. “I’d been walking around like this for a whole year after experiencing the trauma of others through my volunteer and professional work without really realizing it.”

One thing Jack is most proud of in all the years he’s been responding to disasters is the experience he acquired that enabled him to develop a disaster mental health course and implement it across the state of New York… “Therefore, expanding the DMH capacity of the state. This includes training mental health responders in how to work with families when the authorities are identifying or have identified their deceased loved ones through DNA samples.”

Jack shared that while currently the Red Cross does not have a consistent policy or practice on how the organization as a whole supports its workforce before, during and after a deployments, and it is largely inconsistently addressed across the nation – chapter to chapter, region to region, division to division – Red Cross did commission a workgroup 18 months ago to begin gathering information on what at the time was being done to support disaster workers, particularly post-deployment, and what the recommendations are for the future. Ultimately, and at a high level, the findings suggested the organization develop more comprehensive policy and practices that promote resilience building and supporting workers (and their families) before, during and after disaster deployment. Jack says, “These recommendations are being incorporated into Red Cross’ overall Disaster Mental Health Program Review, which identifies other directions for the future of the DMH program and will be presented to leadership in the coming couple months.”

“We also instituted a few targeted support programs following some of our more recent complex disaster responses, including the Maui Wildfires (2023), LA Wildfires (2025), American Airlines Crash (2025), and more recently the Central Texas Floods (2025),” said Jack. All these disasters involved multiple fatalities and as a result, the Red Cross wanted to ensure that they acknowledged the potential impact of responding to a mass fatality incident, and in some cases provided support to the responder both during and after their deployment.  

Shannon Green and Shannon Goodhue from Jack’s team provided some details of the support provided to deployed workers for those incidents, which included both mental health and spiritual care, but also some direct Red Cross related services, including financial support for those who were personally impacted in the disaster (i.e., LA Wildfires).

Shannon Green explained that DMH support was integrated across all levels for some of these disaster responses, “Providing consistent and compassionate care to staff throughout their disaster response experience.” On the ground, DMH staff offered both one-on-one and team-based support in the field and at different sites, facilitated targeted mini-workshops on self-care and compassion fatigue, and helped increase awareness about the emotional impact of disaster work. 

Help remained available around the clock to deliver psychological first aid and emotional support as needed. These efforts were reinforced through close collaboration between DMH and Workforce teams, which improved mutual understanding and streamlined referrals for mental health support. Communication between DMH and leadership was strengthened, enabling real-time feedback and coordinated planning. 

Visual tools such as signage, and DMH-identifying ribbons helped staff easily recognize support team members. Initiatives like “Mental Health Moments,” care packages, and on-the-job check-ins—whether individually or with teams—further reinforced a culture of care. Compassionate and consistent messaging through self-care reminders in daily Incident Action Plans and meetings helped embed wellness into the operational rhythm of their deployment. DMH team members continued their support through post-deployment responder check ins, “Welcome Home” calls, offering continued connection and care. 

“The outcomes of these efforts were successful in increasing access to mental health resources and created a greater sense for responders of being supported and appreciated,” said Shannon. “Together, these initiatives contributed to a more resilient, responsive, and emotionally healthy workforce during disaster relief operations.”  

More Great Resources and Insights

A Disaster Expert’s Guide To Preventing Employee Burnout, by Trevor Riggen, President of Humanitarian Services at the American Red Cross and a Forbes Councils Member. Published July 17, 2025.

https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2025/07/17/a-disaster-experts-guide-to-preventing-employee-burnout/

Champions of Change, under the Obama administration https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/champions/american-red-cross/kay-wilkins