When the unspeakable happened 12 years ago today, the Red Cross was there in the immediate aftermath, and the years to follow. Immediately, the Red Cross:
- Activated 6,000 Red Cross volunteers
- Opened 13 Red Cross shelter
- Sent Disaster Mental Health workers to shelters, crash sites, airports and hospitals
- Set up a mental health hotline
- Opened Respite Centers for firefighters, police officers, port authority workers and others
- Received 1 million calls on the Blood Donation line (the previous record in one day was 3,000 calls)
- Every chapter in the nation supported stranded passengers at airports as air space was shut down
- Launched the Family Registration Web, a predecessor to today’s redcross.org/safeandwell
- Sent teams of Red Cross workers door-to-door in the Restricted Zone for families who had chosen to stay
- After one year, the Red Cross had served 14 million meals for disaster workers and victims, mental health services for more than 237,000 people, and health services for 131,000 people.
- And much more.
The Greater New York Red Cross has put together a YouTube playlist of Red Crossers remembering that day, including this video about all the spontaneous volunteers who showed up to help out where they could:
Today, we remember with you. Tweet using #redcross and one of the trending 9/11 hashtags, and you may see your post here:
Let us NEVER FORGET!!! #WTC #911Memorial #NYC #RedCross pic.twitter.com/DGtnW9SSo8
— Louie Avila (@Louie_Avila) September 11, 2013
Remembering 9/11: The First Few Hours of the Greater NY Red Cross Response http://t.co/YD61T5mPNx #NeverForget
— GNY Red Cross (@redcrossny) September 11, 2013
Thanks to #RedCross Disaster Responders across Arkansas who cared for those touched by #September11 #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/XXu0AJAEbt
— RedCrossArkansas (@ArkRedCross) September 11, 2013
We're looking back & remembering 9/11 & the immediate Red Cross response: http://t.co/fz732fDGrY #NeverForget
— American Red Cross Greater North Texas Region (@RedCrossNTX) September 11, 2013
I worked w the Red Cross at ground zero. Someone put a green tablecloth with a red rose on a small table btw the towers. #september11
— (((Unibrowser))) (@madfoot) September 11, 2013
https://twitter.com/August_303/status/377815125249761280
https://twitter.com/LindyLikeTheHop/status/377828079105617920
Working @BancFirst, we watched events unfold on TV in the back hall. I soon joined #RedCross & #AmeriCorps as a responder. #wherewereyou
— Beth Boyd (@Beth_Boyd) September 11, 2011
I'm in NYC to join 15 Red Cross friends that I worked alongside at Ground Zero. We haven't been together in 10 years. #wherewereyou
— Darren Irby (@deirby) September 9, 2011
Volunteering at a blood drive & donating blood in NYC in honor of the 9/11 victims. 520 W. 49th St, 1st Fl. American Red Cross! #Remember911
— Salaam Bhatti (@salaam) September 11, 2012