The New Year is a good time to take stock of our accomplishments and establish new goals for the coming year. Thanks to the generous support of so many, we continue to assist families, responders and survivors of 9/11. In addition, we are excited to implement several new initiatives that will build upon our work over the last twelve years to help other communities impacted by traumatic events.
In the past year, we worked closely with our partners at the 9/11 Memorial Museum to provide photographs from our 9/11 Living Memorial Project. So many of you generously supported this project that ensures the nearly 3,000 lives lost will be honored in a meaningful way in the 9/11 Museum. We are especially grateful to Joe Daniels and Alice Greenwald, who have graciously participated in our Annual Information Forum and Always Remember Gala, and kept our members informed about the progress at the 9/11 Memorial Museum, which will open in 2014.
With the support from the Center for Disease Control/NIOSH, our staff has been contacting 9/11 responders and survivors to educate them about their eligibility and the application process for medical and mental health care under the World Trade Center Health Program. This work will continue in 2014. Through a U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime grant, we completed a two-year study identifying best practices based on interviews conducted with service providers in Oklahoma City, Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois University and Tucson. The project will culminate in an e-book scheduled for release later this year. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supported several projects that we will launch in the coming months - the design of a new website, a research project assessing the long-term needs of victims' families, and a Symposium on how to better address long-term support needs following traumatic events.
One of the highlights of the coming year will be the launch of the VOICES Center of Excellence for Community Resilience, a collaboration with public/private partnerships which will include research, education and training to guide communities in preparing for and recovering from traumatic events. Our work over the past 12 years has given us insight into the long-term needs of victims' families and survivors. We believe that with knowledge comes a moral responsibility to share the lessons learned to promote healing in the lives of those impacted by other tragedies. With this goal in mind, the Center will hold its
inaugural symposium on January 17th with our longtime partner, the Rutgers University School of Social Work: "Promoting Resiliency in Communities Impacted by Trauma: Identification and Treatment of Long Term Needs."
There is much to be grateful for, not the least of which is the generosity of those who have supported our efforts. We look forward to sharing more good news with all of you in the New Year!
