• Denise Richardson

The Salvation Army of Greater New York To Provide Alternate Site To View 9/11 Memorial Ceremony

New York, NY (August 10, 2010) – Members of the 9/11 community, not invited or unable  to attend the national 9/11 10th anniversary ceremony near the World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan, will have an alternative gathering place, courtesy of The Salvation Army Greater New York Division and the Mental Health Association of New York City.

Beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 11, 2011, The Salvation Army, in partnership with MHA-NYC’s 9/11 Healing and Remembrance Program, will welcome survivors, displaced residents, first responders, and 9/11 volunteers from all agencies, as well as families of victims not attending the World Trade Center ceremony, to its 1,347-seat Centennial Memorial Temple on West 14th Street for a few hours of reflection in a safe, quiet and comfortable environment.

This “Family Support Center” will feature live streaming of the entire national 9/11 memorial ceremony projected on multiple monitors including on a 20-foot-by-11-foot screen in HD in a press-free environment. Refreshments will be served and supportive services, including child care, mental-health services, and massage therapy, will be available to all who attend.

The Salvation Army location will be the only site featuring a live presentation of the national ceremony in a private theater with these kinds of amenities. 

The Family Support Center will be open from 7:30 a.m. (with the live streaming beginning at 8) until 1 p.m., and guests can arrive and leave at any point during those hours. The gathering is free, but all attendees are required to register ahead of time by calling the Healing and Remembrance Hotline at 1-866-212-0444.

"Due to space limitations and security, a sizable segment of the 9/11 community has never been included in the national annual memorial service,” said Lt. Colonel Guy D. Klemanski, Divisional Commander of The Salvation Army Greater New York Division.  “What we are providing is a quiet, relaxing alternative site where these people can come together as a community, receive support, and give support to each other on this solemn occasion."

WHO: The Salvation Army Greater New York Division and the Mental Health Association of New York City’s 9/11 Healing and Remembrance Program.

WHAT: A “Family Support Center” for members of the 9/11 community not invited or not wishing to attend the national 9/11 10th anniversary ceremony near the World Trade Center site, featuring live streaming of the World Trade Center site ceremony in a press-free environment.

WHEN: Sunday, September 11, 2011, from 7:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. (Guests may arrive and leave at any point during these hours).

WHERE: The Salvation Army Greater New York Division’s Centennial Memorial Temple (which is accessible to people with special needs) at 120 West 14th Street, New York, NY (between 6th and 7th Avenues).

This Is What The Salvation Army Did During 9/11 . . .

• The Salvation Army was among the first agencies to arrive at Ground Zero after the attacks, and the last to leave when operations formally ended there nine months later.
• The Salvation Army’s response to 9/11 officially came to be known as “Operation: Compassion Under Fire,” during which The Army would provide food, hydration, supplies, grief counseling, financial assistance, referrals, and more, to hundreds of thousands of emergency workers, families of victims, and others impacted by the terrorist attacks.
• By the time recovery efforts ended, The Salvation Army had served more than 3 million meals at Ground Zero and other relief sites, utilizing the efforts of more than 7,000 Salvation Army officers and staff and more than 32,000 volunteers, representing a total of almost a million volunteer hours.
• At the end of 2001, The Salvation Army created the World Trade Center Recovery Program, a long-term recovery program providing intensive case management to people who had lost family members, their homes and/or their jobs. This program lasted until the fall of 2006.

. . . and This Is What The Salvation Army Does Today

The Salvation Army, in the greater New York area, provides and operates:

• Emergency disaster servicesin the event of large-scale disasters.
• Food pantriesand soup kitchens.
• Shelters for homeless men, women, families and veterans.
• Services for adults and families coping with HIV/AIDS.
• Group homes and programs for the developmentally disabled.
• Adult Rehabilitation Centers, providing a residential program of counseling and work therapy for men and women working to overcome addictions.  (Salvation Army Thrift Stores support the ARCs program.)
• Day care centers.

About The Salvation Army Greater New York Division: An integral part of the community for over 130 years, The Salvation Army in Greater New York operates more than 100 community and social-service programs, serving more than 750,000 people, regardless of race, religion, nationality or sexual orientation. For more information, visit our website at:  SalvationArmyNewYork.org.

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to carry out those services in 5,000 communities nationwide.  For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.