On Wednesday, April 11th, close to thirty Tuesday’s Children’s mentors and members from the Junior Board had a private tour of the 9/11 Memorial. The tour was led by Jim, a mentor matched in the program for 5 years who also serves as a docent for the WTCTributeCenter. Jim lead a heartfelt tour and encouraged each person to experience the Memorial on their own. Staff members of the Memorial were on hand to share details of the Memorial and the changes that are happening as the construction continues. Both the mentors and Jr. Board volunteer their time and dedicate themselves to raising awareness for Tuesday’s Children.
After the tour, mentors participated in a continuing education training “How mentors can support mentees dealing with traumatic grief", led by Fran Furman, Director of Counseling. Mentors were able to have an open discussion about their triumphs and challenges through the years of being mentors. Volunteers who are new to the program were joined by mentors who have been involved for as few as six months to as long as eight years.
Tuesday's Children thanks the 911 Memorial and Museum for their commitment to ensuring everyone associated with Tuesday's Children has a unique and private experience.
On April 7th, a group of Tuesday’s Children teenagers traveled deep into the Florida Everglades on an exclusive Outward Bound canoeing expedition. The group chose to transform their Spring vacation into a journey of personal challenge, and for eight days paddled hard through the Gulf waters. They gained leadership and teamwork skills, learned nautical navigation techniques, and greater environmental awareness as they steered through mangrove tunnels, marshes, and cypress swamps.
One participant stated, “Outward Bound was a great trip and a very rare opportunity to come by. Traveling through the unique Everglades environment was very challenging and taught me so much. From learning knot skills and navigation techniques, to the core of teamwork, the adventure enabled me to grow mentally, physically, and spiritually. I bonded strongly with the other members and formed true friendships. Thank you for the opportunity, Tuesday’s Children.”
Another shared, “The Everglades Outward Bound trip was a once in a life time opportunity. Sharing the waters with so much wildlife, and night sailing in the canoes was unforgettable. The experience taught me so much about myself and the obstacles I am capable of overcoming. This trip had a strong impact on me, and is one I will remember forever.”
On Sunday, March 18th, our committed runners ran 13.1 miles on behalf of Tuesday’s Children in the New York City Half Marathon. Our dedicated team, along with over 15,000 runners of all experience levels, started at the northeastern corner of Central Park, ran through Times Square and along the Hudson River before finishing by Battery Park. Many thanks to our team members Jackie Gilbert, Greg Lanning, Nancy Morell and Matt Scalaro! After months of training and fundraising, they raised over $10,000! If you are interested in joining Team Tuesday’s for an endurance event, please visit our Fundraising Events schedule. Above: Greg Lanning from Team Tuesday's.
During their February winter break from school, a group of our selfless young adults traveled with Tuesday's Children's Helping Heals program to Austin, TX to work with Habitat for Humanity to build homes for families in need. The teens were involved in different phases of constructing several houses including painting, landscaping, assembling kitchen cabinets, calking and installing doors.
Working alongside the potential owner helped give the teens a real connection to the project and motivation to do a really good job. These teenagers have not forgotten how family, friends and the nation reached out to them in their time of need. This year's Helping Heals program gave them the opportunity to “pay it forward” by helping others. As Max Arczynski, 18, from Stowe, Vermont poignantly shared, “We’re here in Austin helping others rebuild their future which gives us the opportunity to rebuild ourselves.”
In addition to the build, the group enjoyed a Segway Tour of the capital, a University of Texas basketball game, learned the Texas Two Step and enjoyed regional food in Austin.
The compelling and inspiring nature of the Helping Heals program led to local coverage of our teens with Habitat for Humanity down in Austin. See Fox News' coverage below:
As part of the partnership between Warner Bros. Pictures and Tuesday’s Children, and in conjunction with the release of the Academy Award -nominated film Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Warner Bros. Pictures and the film’s director, Stephen Daldry, arranged a benefit screening for donors and friends of Tuesday’s Children. The January 18th pre-release screening included a cocktail reception with VIP guests and thoughtful opening remarks from the film's Max Von Sydow.
Most importantly, however, and through the generosity of Warner Bros. and Daldry, Tuesday’s Children was able to provide private screenings of the film for our 9/11 families. The storyline of the movie follows the story of a young boy who lost his father on 9/11 and his journey to deal with his grief and loss. Close to 200 family members attended these private movie screenings. which afforded them the opportunity to support each other. Prior to the screening, Tuesday's Children advised family members that the film might evoke a wide range of emotions and relive past issues. Fran Furman, Director of Counseling, spoke with parents bringing children to view the movie to ensure that parents had a good understanding of the film’s impact and images. Ms Furman, as well as other mental health professionals was present at the screenings to provide support and families were offered the opportunity to share their thoughts and reactions to the film after the screening. The majority of families felt positively about being able to view the movie with other 9/11 family members in a private, safe space in which they could support each other. Families also expressed hope that the movie would bring greater awareness to the community at large about the hardships and difficulties they had to face in the months and years following 9/11 and the impact it continues to have.
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