I hope this note finds you all well. We wanted to share with you information from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum regarding the Pope's visit to the World Trade Center site. On Friday, September 25, 2015, Pope Francis will be making a historic visit to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. The pontiff's visit is another powerful example of the global significance placed on coming to this sacred ground.

Join us for an insightful day featuring presentations, panel discussions, and interactive educational sessions led by accomplished subject matter experts, clinicians and researchers. The symposium is intended for mental health professionals, emergency managers, law enforcement, students, and other community stakeholders working in the field of trauma and victims' services.

Saturday, June 27 is National Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Day. The National Center for PTSD reports that about 8% of Americans will have PTSD at some point in their lives, and that more than 8 million individuals have PTSD during a given year.

This weekend, we honor the special men in our lives. Our fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers and those individuals who have taken on the role of a father in our lives - coaches, colleagues, mentors and friends - have all shaped us into the people we are today. Father's Day is a day of reflection for many, as we remember those who aren't with us. On this special day we remember the many men, of all ages, who were lost on 9/11, whose lives we learned about through working with their families on the 9/11 Living Memorial Project.

We are pleased to announce two important projects we are undertaking as part of our work to expand VOICES Resilience Center. VOICES was recently awarded a 14-month grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to develop curriculum and training that will assist communities in preparing for and responding to acts of terrorism, mass violence and natural disasters.

Yesterday I attended the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing in Washington, DC. Witnesses provided an update on the World Trade Center Health Program, and first-hand accounts of their treatment for medical conditions as a result of working in the rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site. The subcommittee is evaluating the effectiveness of the program and considering the reauthorization of the Zadroga Act, which expires in 2016.

This Monday, May 25 marks the 146th observance of Memorial Day, where we honor and remember the brave men and women who have lost their lives while serving in our military. Since September 11, 2001, more than 2.5 million service members have been deployed to the Middle East, and thousands have given their lives in the line of duty. Their dedication to serving our country continues to ensure the protection of our freedoms as American citizens, and this weekend is a time to honor their lives and pay tribute to their unwavering commitment.

From Thursday, May 28 through Saturday, May 30, the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City will be hosting a series of special programs for the 9/11 Rescue and Recovery community to commemorate the 13th anniversary of the end of the historic recovery operations at Ground Zero.

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the dedication of the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City. Since its opening last May, more than 2 million visitors from all 50 states and from around the world have toured the Museum. We are indebted to so many individuals who worked tirelessly over the years to accomplish a monumental task - preserving a site that is sacred ground to those who lost loved ones, while documenting a tragedy that has individual and international consequences that will reverberate for generations to come.

On this beautiful spring day here in the Northeast, we send sincere Mother's Day wishes to all of you who are mothers, and to those who have taken on the role of a mother to someone special in your life. We know that this day may be challenging for those who have lost a mother or a child, or for those who became a single parent after losing their spouse. Know that all of us at VOICES hold you in our hearts and will be thinking of you as you celebrate the day.