UPDATED: September 11, 2012 9:32 a.m.
Eleven years later, 9/11 survivors and victims' family members still need you. Children who lost parents rely on scholarship funds to pay for college. Memorial sites commemorate the tragedies and honor those who died with the help of donations. First responders grappling with catastrophic illnesses and injuries look to organizations to advocate on their behalf and ease their financial burdens.
Here's how you can help.
Tuesday's Children
In the past 10 years, Tuesday's Children has provided emotional support to 3,000 children affected by terrorism. The organization that was founded to offer a haven for families who lost loved ones on September 11 has now evolved into helping anyone affected by terrorism around the world. Tuesday's Children provides a wide range of supportive programming, including mentoring for children ages 7 to 18, career shadow days and career planning workshops for students getting ready to graduate from college.
Donate here.
VOICES of September 11
We will never forget and VOICES of September 11 is part of the reason why. By providing information, support services and annual commemorative events for 9/11 families, rescue workers and survivors, the organization continues to commemorate the essence of that tragic day. VOICES also works to promote public policy reform on prevention, preparedness and response to terrorism.
Donate here.
New York Says Thank You Foundation
In an effort to thank communities that stepped in when New York needed them most, the New York Says Thank You Foundation galvanizes 9/11 responders, survivors and victims' family members to complete service projects in areas hit by tragedy. Since 2003, the organization has helped communities in need throughout the country. Volunteers built a facility in North Dakota that enables wounded warriors to ski. The Foundation rebuilt a barn ravaged by a tornado in Georgia so that kids with special needs can get animal-based therapy. After a tornado destroyed an Omaha Boys Scout camp where four boy died, the organization rebuilt it and erected a chapel in the kids' memory.
Donate here.
9/11 Memorial & Museum
In an effort to honor and educate, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum offers visitors a refuge to reflect and expansive exhibits that outline the details of how that tragic day unfolded. The names of the nearly 3,000 men, women and children whose lives were cut short by the 1993 and 2001 attacks are inscribed around the memorial pool and their profiles within the museum ensure that their legacies will live on.
Donate here.
Action America
As a way to channel grief into good deeds, Action America enables supporters to get involved with a cause or organization -- or many of them. Find a number of 9/11 organizations all in one place, including the Wounded Warrior Project, which helps returning injured soldiers and families; Tuesday's Children, which services families affected by 9/11; and the 9/11 Memorial, which honors those lost in the attacks. Action America also provides tools to create your own message and spread the word about how you're ensuring the world never forgets.
Donate here.
Michael Lynch Memorial Foundation
The organization named for fallen firefighter Michael Lynch, aims to empower children who lost relatives on September 11 by giving them educational grants to pursue higher education. In the last 10 years, the foundation has doled out 96 college scholarships, totaling more than $2.3 million.
Donate here.
9/11 Day
Just two years after securing September 11 as a national day of service under federal law, 9/11 Day has geared up for the single largest day of charitable action in United States history on the tenth anniversary of the attacks. 9/11 Day continues to work to honor those who died by mobilizing Americans around volunteerism in their honor.
Donate here.
Graybeards
Home to many firefighters and financial service workers, the Rockaway peninsula in Queens lost more than 50 residents on September 11. In an effort to unite a community torn apart by tragedy, the Graybeards--a local basketball team--founded the eponymous charity to foster friendship and camaraderie. The area's first and largest 9/11 charity hosts social gatherings, charity events, supports locals battling cancer and donates to such critical causes as the Wounded Warrior Project.
Donate here.
FealGood Foundation
While working at the Ground Zero recovery efforts, 8,000 pounds of steel crushed John Feal's foot. As he recovered, Feal decided he needed to help other responders who have suffered catastrophic injuries and illnesses. Established in 2005, the FealGood Foundation helps ease the financial burden of medical care and educates the public about the ailments these responders face.
Donate here.
This list of ways to help was originally published September 11, 2011.
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