As the 10th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the Canadian Red Cross has been getting quite a few requests from media looking to
connect with staff or volunteers who helped respond to this incredible event. The Canadian Red Cross sent many volunteers (146 volunteers to be exact) to help on the ground in New York, and many more Red Crossers were here in Canada doing their part.
Across the country, the Red Cross helped over 45,000 stranded travellers whose planes had been diverted from New York by providing shelter and manning reception centres at airports. Local offices were also in high-gear, not only raising funds for the disaster, but also by offering support to their communities.
Sue Cornette, who is now a training and development co-ordinator for international operations, was a fund development co-ordinator in Ottawa on 9/11. She remembers that almost immediately upon hearing news of the attacks in the States, volunteers started pouring into the office to help. Members of the community also came in droves to make donations. It was a disaster that touched people of all ages – Sue remembers even youngsters coming in, dumping their piggy banks on her desk to do their part.
As staff worked around the clock to respond to the demands of this crisis, families of those who had lost loved ones in New York came to visit them. “They felt comforted and safe at the Red Cross, hence spending time with us,” she said. “It was reality in my face as I saw the pain on their faces. It took all that I had not to cry.” One family brought photos of a loved one who had perished in the Twin Towers. The photos were hung in the office, reminding staff and volunteers why their efforts were so incredibly important.
Over the coming days, a steady stream of community members - even firefighters - and Red Cross volunteers continued to come to the office. “Even though we were so far away from New York, people could come to our office and still be a part of this huge event. So many people felt helpless and for them, the Red Cross was a place where they could go to feel connected to what was happening in New York.”