I was inspired to become a volunteer for America after 9/11. I just was not sure in what capacity. While reading a local newspaper I found an ad for Citizen Corps. I can’t recall the exact wording, but it prompted me to call for more information. I met Beau Alexander who was coordinating the program. I became a member of CMCC as a result.  Beau introduced me to the Greater Rochester Chapter of the American Red Cross and I was hooked from that point forward!
 
Becky McCrory, former Director of Disaster and Emergency Services Department, kept my interest going. She recommended me for the Americorps*VISTA position at the chapter and I joined the NYS Homeland Security Preparedness Project. Ultimately, I served for three years under the guidance of Leighton Jones. I remain a volunteer at the chapter for Services to Armed Forces events. It is an honor to be part of such a vital organization!

10 years already, considering I am from Brooklyn and watched the towers being built only to eventually work in 4 of the 6 buildings that fell. Working on Wall Street during those dynamic times was a privilege. I remember when the no-fly zone was instituted after two separate incidents however the SST flew out of Kennedy and it was allowed to buzz the city. I called my father immediately as he still resides in Brooklyn and he described every single thing I saw on television.

My brother (thank god) worked for Verizon and was supposed to be under tower #2 working on high speed transmission lines but for some strange reason they cancelled the call. My brother ending up walking home from midtown Manhattan across 2 bridges and all I could do was break down as I knew so many people that perished that day. No one is supposed to die at work and the simple feeling of helplessness guided me to volunteer work and eventually the Red Cross. Making a difference with instant results.

I still have 2 pictures of the Twin Towers. One at night and one during the day. I will never forget!!!!

I was actually in graduate school at Roberts Wesleyan College for my MSW when 9/11 happened. I watched in horror after leaving my part-time job at Highland Hospital as a Social Worker. Classes that night were cancelled. 

The next evening, we were all wanting to go to NYC and do something to help. We were able to go with the Salvation Army for one week. We assisted at Pier 94, as well as at "the pit" and the assistance center in the old DMV building. After returning home from NYC after a week, I knew even more that I definitely wanted to do crisis intervention and assist in disasters. I re-joined the Red Cross at that time on the Disaster Mental Health Team. 

Since then, I have been unable to go on any national disasters, but have participated locally and in Buffalo last year. I still feel a very close bond to NYC and go to where the "pit" was almost every year.

I spent one year there as Staff Relations Manager for Red Cross - I supervised and worked with a large staff to interview, screen and place several thousand volunteers  to support "Ground Zero" fireman and "Hands On" rescue workers on duty . We were a 24 hour operation. Our headquarte was in Brooklyn, N.Y. and we spent most of our time at the "Ground Zero" site.

I have returned there on two occasions to meet with the N.Y. Chapter and attend the Mayor's recognition party. I have some pictures and also an American flag given to me by a family member that lost her "Loved One".

An excerpt from Chris Steerman's volunteer experience recollection at Ground Zero: 

I didn’t know it, but this was about to be the first day I would be able to view the site (ground zero) first hand. It was late in the afternoon and I was standing outside talking to some “local volunteers”. These were two local  young woman who were helping out but it was unclear exactly who they were associated with. They had the hard hats, face masks and I think  were mostly helping to direct people places. These women indicated that they intended to walk closer to the site (a couple blocks away) and asked if I would like to join them. I agreed and we began to make our way down there, dodging trucks and heavy equipment, trudging through the tan mud that was the result of so much pulverized concrete. 

We walked down to the site. I was conscious of all the rescue workers scrambling around, and watched them go in and out of a tent that was set up nearby. I wondered what kind of support was available for these guys (mostly they were men). Everyone was  on duty, and therefore dealing with his or her own stuff. It was so grim. I wanted to go over to see if I could help in some way but wondered if I would be welcome as an “outsider” and as one who was not going through the work itself. I had noticed how these guys hang together in groups when they came up to the shelter for food or rest. It was as if they were in a very special club and no one else could possibly understand what they were experiencing but each other. They had each other for support but they were all “running on empty” as far as I could tell. 

I had picked up a newspaper that morning before coming down to the site. I felt as if this was my main contribution of the day – that newspaper got passed around and around and eventually disappeared completely. Every once in awhile I would catch some dirty, exhausted worker sitting all by himself and intently reading the newspaper. It seemed that they craved an overall of the macrocosm to help them  place their microcosm in perspective.