September 11, 2001 is one of those dates that many of us will never forget. I was working at a nonprofit agency in central Wisconsin at the time, and I vividly recall what I “wanted to believe” – that a small Piper or Cessna airplane had slammed into one of the Twin Towers.
Even when I learned it was a jet, and not a small plane, I still could not fathom that the Twin Towers had crumbled. It took hours for the realization of what happened to sink in. I lost my job as a result of the economic fallout later that year – but that was minor compared to the thousands who lost loved ones on that fateful day.
Where were YOU on September 11, 2001? What kind of impact did 9/11 have on your life? Or maybe your individual career or your profession?
Jot down a few thoughts in the comment section above, and you may be eligible to receive a free copy of “Rebuilding Trust in the Workplace” by Dennis and Michelle Rina or “Caregiver’s Path for Compassionate Decision Making” by Viki Kind. (Two winners will be able to decide which title they’d prefer.) These books have now been awarded, but interested individuals may still feel free to post comments about their 9/11 experiences.
elevating EAP awareness 
As the director of a nonprofit Christian Pregnancy Care Center, I saw both a short-term and long-term impact on our ministry after 9/11/01. The short term impact was immediate and raw with many of our clients coming in for assistance that week and the next, looking for not only material help, but for emotional reassurance and spiritual support, as well. As a Christian, I was grateful to be able to share with clients and staff alike that God was still in control, no matter what happened, and that those of us who knew Jesus in a real and personal way could trust Him to have a place reserved for us in Heaven that no one could take away, even if the worst should happen.
The long-term impact came a few months afterward as we saw our funding drop dramatically. People pulled within themselves and hunkered down for the long run in the precarious economic fallout. Volunteer numbers plummeted too, as long time supporters, fearful of the unknown, dropped out of circulation to concentrate solely on their own families’ needs and their paying jobs. Shaken and unsure of what might come next, individuals had no extra time, energy or resources left to devote to ‘charitable causes’. It seemed the only exception to that was the Red Cross and other organizations directly assisting 9/11 recovery efforts.
Ten years later, not much has changed. Donations and volunteers are still scarce. Anytime it looked like we might rebound, a new financial or emotional crisis would hit and people would pull back again, or a natural disaster would strike and people would direct all their efforts to that effort. Also, I’ve noticed people’s attitudes toward nonprofit organizations have changed since 9/11/01. While interest is still there and the need is greater than ever, not many are willing to make long term commitments to any cause because they simply don’t know what tomorrow will bring. This, of course, makes it terribly difficult for long-term ministries like ours to function on a daily basis let alone plan for the future. As a result, we’ve had to look more towards short-term projects and have learned to rely more and more on God to provide our ‘daily bread’. But then again, maybe that’s what God had in mind for us all along. –Brenda J. Hansen, Clintonville, WI
Great idea of a topic, Mike.
September 11th 2001 was my first day of work at a new job, working as a counselor for the Employee Assistance Program for the City of Long Beach (California).
My wife and I were glued to the TV as we watched the stunning events unfold, and I wondered “should I even go to work today?” But then I realized that, of any day of the year/decade/generation, the employees of the City were really going to need their EAP to help them cope with the tragedies of the day.
So, off to the new job. It was a surreal experience… my manager had organized a “new employee welcoming reception” in my honor in the conference room. As dumb luck would have it, it was also the only room in the building with a television, so my little party became “information central” for the many concerned employees of the City. What was intended as a small joyful little welcoming was replaced by the distressed, pained and tearful faces of people trying to understand the unthinkable.
Not long into the day, rumors started to swirl about City buildings and facilities being the target of terrorist attacks on the same day… the City operates the 3rd largest airport in the Los Angeles metro area, and the largest shipping port on the West coast. The buildings soon were emptied as employees opted to leave work for the relative safety of their homes.
Over the following year, the Employee Assistance Program encountered stories of loss, fears and yet overall resiliency of the City employees.
For me, our work gained greater purpose, as reflected in the catchphrase “your worst day is our best day.”
-Jeff Harris, Program Manager for EAP & Work-Life, University of Southern California
I was at work at Greater Johnstown Career & Technology Center in Johnstown, PA. After hearing about the first plane hitting the Twin Towers, I tuned into a local news station and watched the second plane hit. Later I heard about the Pentagon being hit. My daughter had just started working in DC and her office building was less than half mile from the Pentagon. I agonized about getting in touch with her and didn’t for many hours. I found out later that the plane that went down in Shanksville, some 20 miles from where I worked, flew over the building I was in.
I watched and listened to the events of that day unfold with a group of high school students. GJCTC was a vocational technical school grades 10, 11 and 12. As we viewed the scenes on TV and I tried in desperation to get in touch with my daughter, I don’t believe any of us knew what was really happening and how our lives were about to change.
My daughter, thank God, was fine. I still visit the Flight 93 site and I have been to the Pentagon. I haven’t yet gone into New York, but I will at sometime.
I went to an EAPA meeting a couple of days after 9/11 and it was decimated, of course. I have relatives in the ares, but none directly affected, thank goodness.