Tuesday’s Children and The New York Says Thank You Foundation (www.newyorksaysthankyou.org) joined forces in helping victims of a Texas Tornado rebuild. In a growing tradition commemorating the kindness extended to New Yorkers in the days following September 11, 2001, the New York Says Thank You Foundation (NYSTY) sent over 100 volunteers to help rebuild the home of a very special family on this year’s anniversary of 9/11.

Each year the NYSTY Foundation sends volunteers to help rebuild communities around the United States affected by disaster.  It is the group’s way of saying thank you for all the love and support Americans from across the country gave to the New Yorkers following our tragedy on September 11, 2001.

This year’s volunteer group welcomed both rescue and recovery workers from Ground Zero and 9/11 family members from Tuesday’s Children along with FDNY firefighters and hundreds of local volunteers and disaster survivors from all the communities NYSTY has helped around the country from previous years. 

This year, the Foundation helped rebuild the home of James and Eva Vincent of Groesbeck, Texas which was destroyed in a deadly F3 tornado on December 29, 2006.  The Vincents are an extraordinary American family.  Three generations of the Vincent family have run assisted-living centers for disabled veterans out of their homes.  They created a unique and loving environment where these men who served our nation could eat at the family’s dinning room table, play with the children in the extended Vincent family, and enjoy the 100+ animals in a beautiful country setting.  In addition to serving the disabled veterans, the Vincents also serve their community as they comprise nearly one-quarter of the 40-member volunteer fire department of Groesbeck.

NYSTY has been humbled by the growing group of volunteers from communities across the country who have been assisted on previous anniversaries of 9/11 and who continually show up at the next rebuilding projects as their way to “pay it forward”.

Tuesday’s Children’s family members Ann Abrahamson and Megan Manning and Tuesday’s Champions’ members Charlie Vitchers and Pia Hoffman and Tuesday’s Children’s Family Relations Director Liz Bice all sweated it out in the over 100 degree temperatures to rebuild the Vincent home on September 6-9, 2007.  All have agreed it was a transformative experience and all have made a commitment to volunteer on future projects! 

Ann (left), family Member of Tuesday's Children, Jeff Parness, the

Founder of New York Cares (center), and Liz Bice (right),

Director of Family Relations at Tuesday's Children

   
Liz and Ann (a family member                       Pia(crane operator at Ground Zero for 9  

at Tuesday's Children) help hammer             months) takes a five minute breather

out a Window                                                from the 100 degree heat 

The parade brings together everyone "Paying it Forward"

Charlie Vitchers, Liz Bice, Pia Hoffman, Megan Manning, and

Ann Abrahamson (hidden) embrace after planting a

Sweet Sugar Magnolia tree in honor of the 9/11 family members

and rescue and recovery members of Tuesday's Champions          

The flags blow in the wind symbolizing          Megan (Tuesday’s Children Family member)

the unity that this project instills in all           wraps a window with Tyvek

Smiles reflect the overall impact of the Helping Heals Program