July 18, 2014


Dear Families and Friends,

Our collective thoughts are with the family members of the nearly 300 people lost on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. This senseless act of violence is a global tragedy that affected families in many nations, including our own, and we take pause to pray for them during this time of great sorrow and loss.

The Malaysian Airlines tragedy is a difficult one to hear for many of the family members, responders and survivors we serve at VOICES. In our work, we have found that news like this can trigger flashbacks and mental health issues for people who have experienced a traumatic event. As with any tragedy, news reports and graphic details of the event can exacerbate these symptoms, and we caution you to limit your and your children's exposure to the media coverage. Since yesterday's news announcement, we have already received several phone calls requesting assistance.

Since our offices are closed over the weekend, if you feel that you need to talk to someone, we encourage you to call the Disaster Distress Helpline that is run by our partner organization, the Mental Health Association of New York City. The number is 1-800-985-5990 or Text "TalkWithUs" to 64666. In the local NYC area, the number is 1-800-LIFENET, or 1-800-543-3637.

At a time that will be painful for so many people, we remember those lost and stand shoulder to shoulder with their families.

Warm Regards,


Mary Fetchet & the VOICES Staff
_______________________________________________________________________
       Contact Us

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:
©2009 Voices of September 11th. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Voices of September 11th (VOICES) is a 501c3 nonpartisan organization that provides information and a wide range of support services to promote resiliency and address the long-term needs of all those affected by September 11th; commemorates the lives and stories of September 11, 2001; and advocates for public policy reform to promote national preparedness.  VOICES is committed to helping communities prepare for, respond to and recover from traumatic events, by sharing lessons learned that will promote resiliency and healing in the lives of those impacted by other tragedies.

_______________________________________________________________________