Friends of Firefighters

July 7th, 2012

7-7-12All throughout The Kindness Bicycle Ride for Heroes, but primarily in New York City, I have been hearing about an organization named, Friends of Firefighters. Based in Brooklyn, New York, this organization, founded by Nancy Carbone, is a godsend. I will be visiting the in the upcoming week. The following information is taken from their website www.friendsoffirefighters.org Friends of Firefighters is dedicated to addressing the physical, mental health, and wellness needs of New York City’s firefighters and their families. Our ongoing mission is to provide long-term support and services through confidential counseling, wellness services, and other assistance required by firefighters and their families.
Thousands of active and retired firefighters responded to the alarm and 343 members of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) perished in the collapse of the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001. Friends of Firefighters was born within days of this catastrophic event through the performance of several unobtrusive acts of kindness offered by the local community. These ranged from making dinners for exhausted rescue workers, to coordinating and facilitating “behind the scenes” in a variety of ways for funerals and memorials, to sitting and listening to firefighters talk over a cup of coffee.
Friends of Firefighters was born out of necessity after the 9/11 attacks.  Offering therapeutic and mental health resources to active and retired firefighters and their families in the days following, we quickly realized this issue would need to be addressed for years to come. Over the past 10 years, Friends of Firefighters has expanded to meet the growing needs of the FDNY community.
The organization offers confidential, individual, marriage, and family counseling; peer support programs; acupuncture, massage therapy, and training in the Bio Feedback mPod; financial and budget guidance; and referrals to many other resources.

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