By, Meg Moloney, Senior Director, Programs, New York Cares

I was at the New York Cares office in Union Square on the morning of 9/11. Like many others in NYC, as word spread we went outside to see what was going on. We looked down Broadway and saw people coming north as the second tower fell in the distance. The subways were closed, downtown became a “frozen zone”, and there was nothing to do but break into groups and walk home.

As my colleagues and I crossed the Williamsburg Bridge, we talked to each other and to total strangers, trying to make sense of events. It was a hot day. When we got to the Brooklyn side of the bridge, a small group of New Yorkers handed cups of water from the back of a pick-up truck to people trying to get home. This simple gesture brought relief to many and even tears to some. As I approached the impromptu aid station I remembered how 10 years before there had been serious racial tensions and violence not far from that spot. A lot had changed since 1991 and it was heartening to see residents from every part of the neighborhood working together to distribute water to the diverse and ragtag river of people walking by. Everyone seemed to feel a sense of togetherness about the experience. It made a world of difference to those of us with long walks still ahead and helped us put one foot in front of the other and keep going.

By the next day one thing was clear, the spontaneous goodwill of handing out water was not an anomaly. New Yorkers and people around the country – and the world – were responding to 9/11 by asking “what can I do to help.” New York Cares’ phones rang off the hook. Thousands of people came to us to volunteer—saying over and over that they wanted to find a way to do something positive in response to the tragedy. Many thousands of New Yorkers offered to help, as did people from California and Texas, and even Australia and Brazil.

In the days and weeks that followed we coordinated tens of thousands of volunteers around the city. They packed donated supplies for relief workers, prepared food at aid stations, and stood cheering at “Point Thank You”—a place just north of Ground Zero where volunteers let weary relief workers coming off their shifts know how grateful we were for their extraordinary efforts. In fact, it seemed everyone involved kept thanking each other—volunteers thanked first responders—first responders thanked volunteers. In the midst of unfathomable sadness, countless acts of generosity gave us strength.

I still work for New York Cares. I love working at an organization that makes it possible for New Yorkers to volunteer, to care for each other, and to make the city stronger. I am so proud that one of our first and strongest reactions to that tragic day was to help each other. It’s something I hope we never forget.