Copyright ©2024 Tuesdays Children. 390 Plandome Road, Suite 215, Manhasset, NY 11030 • (212) 332-2980 • (516) 562-9000 • EIN # 52-2347446
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Newbury- They are the most unlikely of friends. Dubhaltach Mulvenna’s family is Catholic and supports a united Ireland; Davina Whiteside’s is Protestant and favors continued British rule in Northern Ireland. Both Mulvenna and Whiteside lost a loved one– he an uncle, she her grandfather– in the decades-long sectarian violence that convulsed that region. Their families taught them to never trust anyone who identified themselves with the opposing group.
But the two now consider themselves best friends after participating in Project Common Bond, a nine-day camp this month at the Governor’s Academy that helps young adults from all over the world cope with acts of violence and creates a support network to help them heal.
Campers participate in community-building activities and talk about their experiences as a way to teach one another tolerance and understanding. The camp uses a curriculum, developed by Harvard, that stresses mediation and conflict resolution. “I learned there is wrong and right on both sides,” Whiteside, 19, said as the camp was winding down. “For all the differences that we have, there is a major commonality: We were both innocent victims.” As he watched his fellow campers compete in a foot race in a large green field at the academy, Mulvenna, also 19, said, “Everyone here understands each other, and it makes us all strive for peace because of our past. We don’t want other people to have to go experience what we have. We want it to stop at us.” Tuesday’s Children, a non-profit organization that aids victims of 9/11, created Project Common Bond in 2008. This year, the program brought together 74 students from such places as Israel, the Palestinian territories, Sri Lanka, and Russia.
Several of the participants this year lost a parent in the 9/11 attacks. Robert Mathai’s father was in the World Trade Center when it was hit. The 19-year-old said that the program has taught him that getting angry with people who killed a loved one is not only the wrong response, it is also the easiest one. “The hard thing is to realize the person that did it was wrong, but you can’t hold them culpable because they were taught something incorrect,” said Mathai, of Arlington. “You have to realize that killing someone else and going for revenge will not make you any happier, and it will not make the world a better place. You have to transcend all of hatred, so you can work with other people.”
The program, held in Massachusetts for the first time, has taken place in three different locations: Belfast; Bryn Mawr, Pa.; and outside Washington, D.C. Participants, ages 15 to 20, must have lost an immediate family member through an act of terrorism or political violence, program officials said. Project Common Bond reaches out to victim-advocacy groups in various countries to help identify young people who could benefit from the program.
On Tuesday, July 10th Tuesday’s Children hosted close to 200 First Responders and their families at the 9/11 Memorial for a visit. The 9/11 Memorial welcomed Tuesday’s Children’s First Responder Alliance to the site and had their staff on hand to answer questions about the Memorial and the progress of the museum construction. Afterwards, family members joined us at St. Paul’s Chapel for dinner. For many First Responders it was their first time visiting the Memorial and was meaningful visiting it as a group.
Thank you to the 9/11 Memorial for hosting Tuesday’s Children and providing a wonderful experience for our First Responder Alliance!
On Wednesday, June 20th, Tuesday’s Children hosted 300 family members at the 9/11 Memorial for a private family tour. The 9/11 Memorial invited Tuesday’s Children’s families to visit the site as a group and had their staff on hand to answer questions about the Memorial and the progress of the museum construction. Afterwards, family members joined us for a meal together at the Merchant’s Cafe. One family member commented, “I just wanted to say thank you to you and your staff for such an emotional but beautiful day.”
Thank you to the 9/11 Memorial for inviting Tuesday’s Children and providing a wonderful experience for our family members!
On June 7th, Tuesday’s Children’s Career Resource Center continued its event series and presented a “Career Networking Seminar for College Aged Students.” Given that networking is one of the most powerful tools for success in today’s challenging job market, the event was hosted at the Empire State Building LinkedIn Offices and focused on building a diverse group of professional contacts.
The LinkedIn team began the seminar with an interactive presentation on optimizing professional profiles. Participants learned about best practices on utilizing LinkedIn throughout their career search and discovered how to ensure employers view them as top candidates. Presenter Vincent Gatti, from AJAX Social Media, stressed the importance of taking advantage of this virtual doorway to connect with millions of other professionals and potential employers. One young adult shared, “I hadn’t realized what using LinkedIn opens up such an important job market. I really learned how to make the most of my professional presence on my profile and will be sure to continue connecting!”
After the informative session, attendees separated into small groups to partake in a unique Speed Networking Event. High level professionals from various fields shared their experience with each group of students. By engaging with these professionals in industries such as finance, communication, medicine, and many others, students received a wide range of helpful advice and referrals, enforcing the importance of developing their networking skills and expanding their contacts. One of our professional partners described: “There was so much connecting and networking taking place it was hard to keep track. The professionals and students were so passionate and engaged– it was extremely impressive.” Another Tuesday’s Children young adult echoed these sentiments, “I feel really great about the networking I did tonight. It taught me so much. I’d recommend others come to these events to learn more as well!
Thank You to John Hassett, Patrick Sullivan, and the entire LinkedIn team for all of their support, and to Fred Strobel and Lori Perillo at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney for facilitating the event!
On Wednesday, May 30th, the City of New York and the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum held a ceremony honoring those who responded to the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Tuesday’s Children was invited to be part of the ‘Thank You Tribute’ held at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum for the men and women who participated in the 9/11 rescue, recovery and relief efforts. Our children placed ribbons on the Survivor Tree and had the opportunity to meet Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who attended this very special ceremony.
Thank you to the 9/11 Memorial for including Tuesday’s Children in this important tribute.
On May 24th, our Take Our Children to Work Day program held a career day at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. Participants got a behind the scenes look at the Memorial and Museum where they had the opportunity to examine museum artifacts, learn how decisions are made regarding museum exhibits, understand the process of inscribing the names of those who were lost around the perimeter of the pools and see the plan and design of the museum. A highlight of the day was the opportunity to go underground, beneath the site, and tour the machinery that powers the memorial and the actual site of the museum construction. The Memorial staff shared their educational background with the participants and explained how their career path led them to the museum.
On Thursday, May 17th Tuesday’s Children was delighted to host our “Toast to You” event this past Thursday, May 17th, honoring top supporters, program partners, volunteers and mentors for an evening of appreciation and recognition. These generous partners enable Tuesday’s Children to provide the numerous programs and services for all family members.
The Mentor of the Year award was presented to Colette, a five-year volunteer in the Mentoring Program, by last year’s Mentor of the Year, Keith. Colette and Charlotte, her mentee, are celebrating their five year match anniversary this month. Colette has supported Charlotte in countless ways including being her confirmation sponsor, chaperoning her at Take Our Children to Work Day for years and sharing many memories including their adventurous trips exploring the city. Thank you, Colette, for your dedication to Charlotte and support of Tuesday’s Children!
Copyright ©2024 Tuesdays Children. 390 Plandome Road, Suite 215, Manhasset, NY 11030 • (212) 332-2980 • (516) 562-9000 • EIN # 52-2347446
Privacy Policy and Meaningful Access Statement • Board of Directors • Financials
If you have questions or would like more information, please email keri@tuesdayschildren.org
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