Dear Families and Friends,

 

Thanks to so many this year’s Building Bridges Luncheon was a wonderful success! Congratulations to VOICES 2025 Building Bridges Honoree, Gunnar Esiason for making a difference in the lives of others. We are grateful to all who participated and a special thank you to our enthusiastic luncheon committee whose vision brought the event to life. Luncheon photographs are now on our website.

 

VOICES continues to share our lessons learned through our participation in conferences and hosting preparedness workshops for individuals and families. On May 9th, our next workshop is scheduled at the Westport Center for Senior Activities.

 

April 19th marks the milestone of the 30th Anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. Sadly, this month several other communities will be commemorating the lives lost to tragedy. Our thoughts are with them all.

 

To those who celebrated Passover, we hope your seders were filled with meaning, connection, and joy. As Easter approaches, we send our warmest wishes for a beautiful and uplifting holiday.

 

As always, feel free to contact our office at 203-966-3911 or support@voicescenter.org if we can be of assistance.

 

With warm regards,

Congratulations to VOICES 2025 Building Bridges Honoree, Gunnar Esiason and thanks to ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap for moderating an inspirational conversation.

 

A heartfelt thanks to Kate McGee for sharing her personal story, and to Russ Kimes, New Canaan Director of Emergency Management for his remarks. The blessing by David Checketts and performance by David Freidman and Samantha Talora set the tone for the luncheon. We are especially grateful to all of our sponsors, attendees and raffle donors who supported the event and to our amazing luncheon committee who made the magic happen!

 

If you’d like to learn more about Gunnar’s journey, we encourage you to watch the documentary, Second Wind: The Boomer and Gunnar Esiason Story available on ESPN+. To view Luncheon photographs, click here.

 

 

 

On March 26th, VOICES Founding Director Mary Fetchet participated in a virtual Symposium hosted by the Trauma & Recovery Research Unit at McMaster University, entitled Let’s Talk About Mental Health Before, During and After Times of Emergency and Disaster. Ms. Fetchet joined Dr. Margaret McKinnon (Principal Investigator of the TRRU), Dr. Alexandra Heber (Veterans Affairs Canada), Christine Blair, (Mayor of Colchester, NS), Mathew Conte, (Fire Chief and Director of Emergency Management for Jasper, AB); Dr. Nicholas Carleton (University of Regina) and Dr. Karen Collins, (British Columbia Institute of Technology).

 

For many, psychological distress during and after a crisis is temporary. For others, it can lead to lasting challenges like depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress injury (PTSI) or disorder (PTSD), or increased substance use. Panelists shared their experiences providing support for individuals and communities following acts of mass violence, wildfires and the pandemic. It was an honor to participate in the event with our treasured colleagues in Canada.

 

On March 29th, our longtime friend, Matt McCauley served as Grand Marshal of the Sound Shore St. Patick’s Day Parade in Westchester County. Matt has been an avid supporter of VOICES work, and we congratulate him on this well-deserved honor. On 9/11, when the first plane struck the World Trade Center, Matt was working as a paramedic in Mamaroneck after having retired from the NYPD. He spent weeks working on the pile to get the city back on its feet.

 

Today, Matt is a partner at Turken, Heath, and McCauley LLP and represents thousands of responders who have developed 9/11-related illnesses due to their exposure to toxins. For more than a decade, Matt has been part of a delegation that travels to Washington, D.C. to advocate for services and funding for the World Trade Center Health Program.

 

Recent funding cuts are impacting the long-term sustainability of the World Trade Center Program that provides medical and mental health treatment for over 140,000 responders and survivors diagnosed with 9/11 related illnesses. Most recently Dr. Howard, the WTC Program administrator and Director of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) was fired and then rehired following pressure from bi-partisan advocates and labor unions.

 

Other cuts include more than a dozen staffers and several doctors who are qualified to certify WTC illnesses. For more information, click here.

 

April 19 marks the 30th Anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, the deadliest domestic attack in the US that killed 168 people and injured 684. This month we remember them, and the dozens of others who lost their lives in tragedies during the month of April over the past several decades. We hold dear the families, friends, survivors, and communities who have been forever changed. As they commemorate their loved ones, all of us at VOICES send our heartfelt support today and always.

 

On February 19, 2025, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum opened a new exhibition titled “Drawing Meaning: Trauma and Children’s Art after 9/11” in the South Tower Gallery. The exhibition presents over 70 unique pieces of artwork created by children in the aftermath of 9/11, many of which were made in the weeks and months following the attacks.

 

Using materials common to classrooms and playrooms, these young artists conveyed themes of hope, encouragement, and renewal. Rather than emphasizing aesthetic quality, the exhibition highlights the breadth and emotional depth of children’s responses to the tragedy, reflecting how they processed the events cognitively and emotionally. The exhibition will remain on view for approximately 18 months. Learn more.

Recent articles of relevance to the VOICES community:

From 9/11 to today, helping families and communities heal after tragedy

Voices Center for Resilience assists communities in preparing for and recovering from tragedy, and provides long-term support and resources that promote mental health care and wellness, for victims' families, responders and survivors.

More Information: VoicesCenter.org
(203) 966-3911 | Support@VoicesCenter.org

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