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Aug 18,2002

Long Island, NY

We had a wonderful time in New York but we need to continue making quilts. We need to get the whole country to be part of this wonderful project to heal the families. The trip took us two days to get there and two days to come back. The event was on Aug 8th, we had another one on the 9th and on the 10th we visited a fire station in Riverdale that lost two firefighters. We gave them quilts and also to other firefighter families. Talking to the firefighters you can tell it was taking a toll on them because so much has been put upon the surviving firefighters after 9/11. They are having a very hard time dealing with the lost of their family of firefighters because they are like family. We were honored to be able to enjoy the meal that they shared with us. I tell you those guys know how to cook. Congress Member Steve Israel from the 2nd district on Long Island held an event on Aug 8th at Dix Hills High School to help us hand out the quilts to the families. Wendy Falco is an angel for doing so much to help us out with the event. We were able to visit with alot of families. One lady came to talk with us since she had received a quilt at Pier 94 last Dec. She wanted to tell me that she couldn't have made it if it wasn't for the quilt she received at Pier 94. Many nights she would wrap herself in the quilt to help comfort her. She said she received letters and other gifts but nothing could bring her peace like her quilt would. She lost her beloved son and now feels empty inside. After one family lost their son, the mother had a heart attack in November and the dad had a stroke in the same week due to the enormous grief they were dealing with. One lady told us of her conversation with her fiancé. He said there were people jumping from the building and then the building he was in fell. He never made it out alive. Another talked about her sister being trapped and how she heard her sister in pain getting burned and finally dying. Some talk about how painful it was to have a memorial service only have to go through it all over again after they find pieces of their loved ones body. This one lady said she had to go through it three times. Some families have no body to bury. All of the families said that the quilts were a big part of healing. They are very grateful but some still can't find the words to write them down. Families this time could talk about their pain. In Dec at Pier 94 they had a hard time so soon after the tragedy. Please pray for the families. Pray for this project to succeed for the sake of the families. Please help keep this project going. Please give the families some hope by letting them know that this great country is united and that no one is going to keep us down. Take time to thank God for everything he has given you and take the time to pray that with his guiding hands this project will reach all the families and bring them the comfort they need. Bless you all for listening and hopefully spreading the word out.
God Bless and Thank You
Betty