Commemorating the 25th Anniversary
Dear Families and Friends,
As we come together to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of September 11, 2001, I reflect on our collective journey over the past twenty-five years. An enormous source of inspiration is the strength and resilience of our community, and the friendships that we have fostered over the years. Although the milestone remains deeply felt by families, survivors, responders, and others impacted by the tragedy, together we find hope and healing.
Our 25th Anniversary Symposium, entitled Honoring the Past, Shaping the Future, brings us together to honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost on that day, and the thousands of others who have died since. It is also a time to celebrate the extraordinary efforts of those who stepped forward in the days, months, and years that followed – our partners, donors, volunteers, responders, and friends who turned unimaginable loss into a shared mission of healing and service. This year’s gathering is both a tribute to the strength of our community and a look ahead, as we carry the lessons of the past 25 years forward with a continued commitment to building a safer, more resilient future for those who come after us.
Twenty-five years have not dimmed our memory of those we lost, nor softened the weight of what was taken from us. We carry their names, their laughter, their unfinished dreams- and in remembering them, we keep them close. To every family, survivor, responder, and friend who has walked this road with us: thank you. Your trust, your courage, and your willingness to stand together have been the truest gift of these 25 years.
Gratitude alone cannot repay what has been given to VOICES - by those we lost, whose lives continue to guide our purpose, and by all of you who have shown up, again and again, in ways big and small. So on this 25th Anniversary, we carry that gratitude forward, into action. May we continue to honor those we lost by caring for those who remain.
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With warm regards,
Mary Fetchet & the VOICES Team
VOICES 25th Anniversary NYC Symposium
Honoring the Past, Shaping the Future
Downtown Marriott Hotel
September 8th, 9th, and 10th
September 8 - Law Enforcement and Counterterrorism Professionals
Opening day convenes leaders in law enforcement, intelligence, and emergency management to examine today's threat landscape and lessons learned since 9/11 - covering advances in AI, counterterrorism strategy, and 25 years of evolving security practice. Keynote speakers include Christopher Raia, FBI Co-Deputy Director, and Rebecca Weiner, Deputy Commissioner Intelligence & Counterterrorism, NYPD.
September 9 and 10 - The 9/11 Community & Those Who Serve Them
The program focuses on the 9/11 Community and the professionals dedicated to supporting them. Family members, survivors, and responders, and those who advocate on their behalf will come together to provide updates on the ongoing issues affecting the 9/11 Community, share the latest research and resources, and explore strategies that promote healing, resilience, and long-term recovery. Keynote speakers include Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and Senator Richard Blumenthal. The event is free and is held in person and available via livestream. Registration is required.
VOICES 25th Anniversary
9/11 Family Commemorative Luncheon
Downtown Marriott Hotel, 3rd Floor Grand Ballroom
Friday, September 11, 2026 – 1:00pm
On September 11th, VOICES is hosting a 25th Anniversary Commemorative Luncheon for family members who lost a loved one on 9/11. We will gather following the 9/11 Memorial Reading of the Names. The Honorable George Pataki, former Governor of New York, will deliver opening remarks, and Ciarán Sheehan, a Broadway performer best known for his role as the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, will provide a musical performance.
As we mark this significant milestone, the luncheon offers families an opportunity to come together in a supportive setting to reconnect, reflect, and honor the lives and legacies of our loved ones. Over the years, so many of us have become friends - enduring bonds forged in shared loss that continue to provide comfort and healing.
The luncheon is sponsored by Kreindler & Kreindler, and tickets are free. Seats are limited and available on a first come, first served basis (four-ticket maximum per 9/11 victim's family).
Voices Center for Resilience is delighted to announce that we are partnering with StoryCorps to preserve the stories of the 9/11 Community - including family members, responders, and survivors. StoryCorps will be conducting recordings at VOICES 25th Anniversary NYC Symposium on September 8th, 9th, and 10th.
Members of the 9/11 Community are invited to participate and will be selected on a first come, first served basis. Registration is required. Each recording session is designed as a conversation between two individuals. Participants are invited to sit down with a family member, friend or colleague to share memories of a loved one, reflect on their life and legacy, and preserve their story for generations to come. The recordings will be donated to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the Library of Congress and included on VOICES Living Memorial. Limited space is available.
Voices of Reflection
A 9/11 Art Exhibit of Hope and Healing
VOICES 25th Anniversary NYC Symposium
September 8th, 9th, and 10th
The New Canaan Museum & Historical Society
September 3rd to October 17th
This is an exhibit of hope and healing, showcasing artwork created by artists of all ages, in response to and in the years following 9/11 – a glimpse into 9/11’s imprint on society. VOICES extensive collection includes inspirational artwork, photographs, sculpture, drawings, quilts, and artistic expressions of empathy to commemorate the lives lost, document the stories, and bring comfort to the nation. The exhibit reflects the profound impact of 9/11 while illustrating the enduring strength of the human spirit and the many ways art can help us process grief, preserve memory, and inspire hope.
Voices of Reflection will be on display during VOICES 25th Anniversary NYC Symposium at the Downtown Marriott Hotel and also at the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society, in New Canaan, CT from September 3rd to October 17th.
Voices of Reflection invites visitors to pause, remember, and connect through the universal language of art. By sharing these deeply personal and collective expressions, the exhibit honors the lives lost on 9/11 and the enduring impact of that day on families, survivors, responders, and communities, while encouraging meaningful conversations about resilience, compassion, and the importance of ensuring that future generations never forget.
Comfort Cubs at VOICES NYC Symposium
As part of the VOICES 25th Anniversary NYC Symposium and Commemorative Luncheon, participants will receive a huggable Comfort Cub, generously donated by Marcella Johnson, founder of The Comfort Cub organization. Marcella created these therapeutic companions out of her personal understanding of the need for comfort following the loss of her infant child. Marcella is lovingly providing a Comfort Cub for every family who has lost a loved one - a calming presence that offers comfort and security when it is needed most.
Teddy bears hold a special place in VOICES history. In the days and months following September 11, 2001, they became a meaningful symbol of comfort for children and families coping with unimaginable loss. For 25 years, VOICES has recognized the power of simple gestures of compassion and the comfort that a familiar, tangible object can provide. The Comfort Cubs continue that tradition -honoring the past, providing comfort in the present, and carrying a message of hope and resilience into the future.
9/11 Living Memorial
In the years following 9/11, VOICES staff worked with 9/11 families to create the 9/11 Living Memorial, an online memorial commemorating the 2,977 lives lost, documenting stories of responders and survivors, and capturing the many ways individuals and communities chose to remember and honor those affected, including memorials built around the world. Today, the Living Memorial contains over 87,000 photographs and personal mementos chronicling the lives lost in a meaningful way.
VOICES provided a copy of the collection to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum where it is now a core component of the In Memoriam exhibit. The 9/11 Living Memorial continues to provide an opportunity to commemorate those who were lost on September 11, as well as those who have died from 9/11-related illnesses. During this 25th Anniversary year, we encourage you to visit the Living Memorial online, reflect on the tributes that have been created, and, if you wish, contribute updates, photographs, or memories to help ensure that each person's legacy continues to be preserved for future generations.
Click here to visit the Living Memorial.
Seattle Art Project: Always With You
VOICES treasured friend, Dianne Brudnicki, art teacher and founder of the Seattle Art Project, will once again join us at this year’s Symposium, where she will distribute special pieces of artwork to participants from her Always With You collection. The collection features new artists as well as artists who have contributed to VOICES over the past 25 years.
Dianne has worked closely with VOICES for decades, inspiring her students to create meaningful artwork that honors the lives lost on 9/11 while reflecting themes of remembrance, healing, and resilience. Dianne has worked closely with VOICES for decades, inspiring her students to create meaningful artwork that honors the lives lost on 9/11 while reflecting themes of remembrance, healing, and resilience.
VOICES is honored to partner with organizations who share our commitment to support the 9/11 Community. These include the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, 9/11 Day and the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC), which opened in September 2023. These enduring partnerships help create meaningful opportunities for families to come together in reflection, remembrance, and connection.
The Reading of the Names & Tolling of the Bells
The Reading of the Names is the heart of the September 11 commemoration, ensuring that each of the 2,977 people who were killed in the terrorist attacks is remembered as an individual whose life mattered and whose legacy endures. As family members and loved ones read each name aloud, the ceremony serves as a powerful reminder that behind every name is a story, a family, and a community forever changed.
This year, a seventh toll of the Memorial Bells will be added to the ceremony in honor of the thousands of responders and survivors who have died from 9/11-related illnesses in the years since the attacks. This meaningful addition acknowledges the lasting impact of 9/11 and ensures that those whose lives were claimed by its enduring health consequences are also remembered with dignity and respect. To view the Reading of the Names ceremony, click here.
In Their Honor: 25 Years of 9/11-Inspired Service
Voices Center for Resilience is honored to be among the organizations featured in a new exhibit at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, entitled In Their Honor: 25 Years of 9/11-Inspired Service. The exhibit examines the enduring impact of service inspired by the 9/11 attacks. Individuals and communities transformed grief into action, and their efforts have touched lives across the country and around the globe.
Family members; rescue, recovery, and relief workers; the families of those who have died due to 9/11-related illness and injury; and survivors and downtown residents, students, and workers are invited to a preview of the exhibit. Click here to reserve your complimentary tickets and view available times.
VOICES 9/11 Day Pack for Preparedness Events
VOICES is proud to participate in the 9/11 Day of Service for the third consecutive year. Supported by a grant from 9/11 Day and AmeriCorps, the Pack for Preparedness initiative brings volunteers together to assemble and distribute preparedness backpacks.
The events will take place at the Mormon Church and New Canaan Museum & Historical Society - bringing together youth groups, volunteers, students and adults. Participants will assemble preparedness backpacks that include a variety of useful items to be used in the event of an emergency. Backpacks will be distributed to community members and organizations throughout the month of September.
Additionally, several presentations will be included, led by VOICES Executive Director Mary Fetchet and 9/11 Community Project Director, Stephanie Landau to educate participants about the 9/11 Day of Service, the history of 9/11, and VOICES efforts to promote individual, family and community preparedness. The program provides an opportunity to educate the next generation, including those born after 9/11, about the attacks and their lasting impact.
Perelman Performing Arts Center Concert
On September 11 at 3:30pm the PAC NYC is hosting a special performance featuring the New York Philharmonic and the Soldiers' Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band. This moving tribute through music provides another opportunity to honor those we remember while celebrating the resilience and strength of our community. The PAC is generously offering 2 complimentary tickets to 9/11 Community families, on a first come, first served basis.
Click here to reserve 2 Tickets.
Evening of Music, Prayer, Fellowship, and Reflection
September 11, 2026 coincides with Rosh Hashanah, the start of the Jewish New Year. VOICES is honored to share a special gathering for Jewish 9/11 families. In partnership with UJA-Federation of New York, Tamid Community will host an evening of music, prayer, fellowship, and reflection at the 9/11 Chapel, located less than 100 yards from the World Trade Center site.
Joseph C. Daniels, former Founding CEO of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, will share reflections on this milestone anniversary. The evening will include a tribute to the Jewish lives lost on 9/11, a reading of their names, and prayers for the Jewish New Year. Space is limited. Jewish 9/11 families and friends are encouraged to RSVP by September 4.
To RSVP, contact Christina at connect [at] tamidnyc.org (connect[at]tamidnyc[dot]org).
Peer Support Groups
VOICES provides monthly virtual and in-person support groups, providing a welcoming opportunity to discuss shared experiences and resources to build resilience. Our groups are facilitated by our professional staff. Are you interested in joining our support groups or have a suggestion for a new group? Click here.
Survivors (1st Wednesday, Virtual)
Wednesday, September 2nd
12:00pm to 1:30pm EST
Survivors (3rd Wednesday, Virtual)
Wednesday, September 16th
12:00pm to 1:30pm EST
Parents Helping Parents (In-Person)
Wednesday, September 2nd & 16th
9:30am to 11:00am
Victims' Family Members (Virtual)
Tuesday, October 13th
12:00pm to 1:30pm EST
Responders (Virtual)
Tuesday, September 15th
12:00pm to 1:30pm EST
Next Generation (Virtual)
Tuesday, September 1st
9:30am to 11:00am