Introduction
	This note to my mother written 9-26-01 started my writing about the World Trade Center. Mom had asked me to share a little about what it was like in New York, and I titled my reply "Well, You Asked!". Mom forwarded it to friends and family, and I forwarded it to friends around the world who were asking about my experiences there. To date I know that they have been read in Scotland, Australia, Hungary, Japan, and India. All of the feedback reflects such love and concern for the families, displaced workers, rescue workers, aid workers, police and fire department in New York.  By reading a more personal account than was heard in the media, people felt that they were able to be a little closer to New York and to pray for specific people and needs. Soon writing became my way of processing what I was seeing and hearing and exploring my feelings about my experiences. I was still working full-time and I had two children at home, and driving to the city evenings and weekends whenever I could.  I started out working outside the Pier 94 Family Assistance Center with The Salvation Army Beacon Corps Canteen.  Hot meals, snacks and drinks were served around the clock for weeks there.  Most of my work was done inside the Pier 94 Family Assistance Center, which changed names several times as the needs changes. In the early days families waited there for word of their loved ones, and later processed applications for death certificates and other assistance.  Displaced residents and workers also applied for asisstance there. At Ground Zero we worked at The Salvation Army Florida Kitchen, one block away from The World Trade Center site. We served food and drinks and talked to workers there on the night shift. I took no pictures myself at any time.  There are a few pictures from other sources, but photos at the Pier and at Ground Zero are strictly prohibited.
				The Beacon Corps Canteen outside Pier 94
					EMail to Mom

Hi Mom,
I got home at 1:30AM and had to get up for work at 6:30, really exhausted, but the Pier 94 site is busier
than ever. That is because Mayor Giuliani is trying to let people petition the courts for death certificates,
They brought in 60 lawyers who are drawing up the papers, then they have to be presented to a judge. 1
at a time and there are so many! Suddenly a few who weren't reported missing before showing up for
this phase...hmmm!
Some of the families waited on line for hours and then bailed out, some just aren't willing to give up
hope. Very emotional for them to do that. On one of the walls where the families write messages a
young wife wrote "I'll wait for you forever!" Then you could see she came back later and crossed out
"wait for" and wrote "love". That one made me cry. And "Dear rescue workers, please don't stop until
you find my Daddy".
Most of the families just want a hug, nod while they talk, can't really say anything to make it much better.
A lot of survivor guilt "We quarreled that morning", "I lost my whole crew while I was on vacation", "He
missed an earlier flight". And "Why did God spare so many and not my family member?"  I've found you
can't make sense out of something so senseless. We gave away a lot of Bibles though.
Pier 94 is like a whole city, with very tight security. It is huge, maybe go through 5-10 ID checkpoints, bag
searches to get in, no cameras allowed. Lots of military, National Guard and police. Sometimes 15 cops
guarded one door, who is paying all this overtime! Some of them walking around with rifles, Coast Guard
patrolling the river like we are expecting 2 if by sea!
It has become perfectly acceptable for cops, firemen, politicians, therapists, doctors to just start crying,
no one comments at all. Finally heard some laughter but everyone is careful not to say anything that
would offend the families. There are thousands of them! Most of the companies have an area set aside,
families sitting with families from the same company. Cantor Fitzgerald had 3 upper floors and lost 700
of their 1000 employees. Rich execs and restaurant busboys immigrant families. Some of them are
getting pretty demanding and testy, demanding whole cans of coffee from the canteen for home, but
most are great and very appreciative. 30 or so insurance companies are set up there taking claims, by
hand although there are computers there, and doing seminars for 100-300 at a time on how to file a
claim and such. Detectives, law enforcement from all over, therapy dogs. Very few kids there at all
although there is child care set up.
The rescue workers come up mostly to get away from the smell. Smells like when that meat got left in
the trailer fridge, don't think about it too much. Trying to keep that from the families. They mostly don't
want to come off the pile, they have to be threatened with being fired to stop working. I know how that
feels, hard to go home. There is an 18 year old kid who has slept on the floor of the canteen for 14 days
now, he needs to go home! I have to remember to balance job, family, church and ......this, whatever it is.
I haven't seen this, but at Ground Zero when they find a body or a part, everyone stops and they bring a
cart, 3 workers on each side like pallbearers, and everyone stops working and stands respectfully until
it is gone, then they silently go back to work. Lots of lung problems! Asbestos maybe, but the workers
think something chemical. Even the dogs are sick, they had to rig little boots and face masks for them.
We have Milkbones and dogfood at the canteen.
Well, sorry if this is too much information! If I wasn't so tired I'd edit it I guess, this is just stream of
thought.
Love!
Cheryl