In the month of October, Tina Melin said, "Be ready to leave sometime in the month of December for volunteer work at Ground Zero in New York City”. I met Tina at a Rural Providers Conference that was held in Kotzebue, (Alaska). Tina did call and said we were set to leave December 25th and start volunteer work the next day. I flew down and met her and we were in New York on the 26th at 2:30 in the afternoon. We checked into the room and talk of the rush, rush and all the people. I was totally amazed by the skyscrapers and the stench of the air. Later that evening I met the rest of the crew from North Carolina (CERMT-Carolina Emergency Response Massage Team) and Florida Group (FIRST-Florida Immediate Response Stress Team). Also, we were waiting for the ladies from Great Britain who were expected on Friday. Sue W. from the Florida team went through the Chair Routine to be used on the firemen, policemen, counselors, volunteers and heavy equipment operators. During the routine, I fell asleep from being so tired from the flight. So much for being the "bad girls from the North."

December 27th was our first attempt to be on the subway to "Safe Horizon's," on Staten Island. We worked on the counselors, social workers, and victims (ladies who knew people that have passed away at the World Trade Center). They ended up asking me questions about Alaska from the weather to fishing. Around 2:00pm, we were taken to Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island. My first impression was the business of the place the huge Quonset huts and all the noise coming from the trucks. Immediately after setting up we proceeded to work on the men who were coming in from their work. Tina M. was giving out aromatherapy oils and instructions to the usage. I never have received so many "thank you’s," in my life. As soon as the word got out Tina and I were from Alaska, the questions started coming from fishing, hunting and the people. Before the men went out to work, they would dress in white body suits (warm clothing underneath), and nose muzzles for the breathing, the air was thick from the debris. It was very windy up there (kind of reminded me of home). At 6pm, we wrapped up and headed back to Manhattan by ferry and then by subway to 8th and 51st. What an emotional day!!! and very depressing, sad (hearing the men talk), and over all heart breaking. Later that evening we had debriefing and met everyone else from the FIRST and CERMT/UAE group.

December 30th, Tina and I were assigned to Engine228 in Brooklyn. We amazingly made it with the help of her cell phone. Thank God for cell phones. It was funny when we came up from the subway onto the street we both hunkered down and looked around. The guys were so nice there and appreciative of our work. Tina did her oils and "M," technique on the arms, and I did the chair massages. The fire station received a fire call, they were ready in 5 seconds, and we waited for them to come back. I did one more massage, and we wrapped up. They offered to bring up down to the subway in the red fire truck which was so neat because we both never rode in one. What a good day with a lot of thanks!!. They even dreamed about building a spa in the back and hiring Tina and I. On the 31st of December we went to Stanton Island again with Mark and Sue (FIRST). We were busy from the moment we got there till we left at 6pm. Just another day in the Big Apple doing volunteer work.

That evening Chris, Tina and I took a cab to St. Paul's Church by Ground Zero. The place was only lit by candles at the altar, which was so beautiful and calming to the eye. The church volunteers were very nice; anything you wanted to eat or wear was available for the workers and volunteers. There was a chiropractor from Missouri who was excellent in adjusting people who needed it. I was adjusted on my knee and back. Traded him for a chair massage. Around 6:30am, I started getting tired and went out to get some air and heard the distant bleak, bleak from the trucks. We took the subway back to the hotel around 8:15am.

Had a few days off which was nice and met the Native American Community House people. I did a few chair massages there and received a few items. New Years was OK? Didn't attempt to go to 42nd street for there was too many people. I could see them from the 9th floor in the room.

January 6th, 2002 Tina, Sylla, Kim and Lynn (from Great Britain) and I went to the biggest fire station in Brooklyn called the Castle. We worked and had fun the whole time there. Sylla went over the chair routine with the girls from London. I paid close attention to understand how the chair works and the routine. Sylla and Kim came down the firemen pole!. The rest got our picture taken by it which was used in the Anchorage Daily News for Tina's article. Overall, a little bit of me is in New York, and I will go back. Hopefully the funding will be there. The men need the massage done to them to revive them to keep going. Soon and hopefully soon this will all be cleaned up and a healing ceremony needs to take place there for all the souls lost. I never expected anything to go to New York for I am in the middle of starting my massage business in Fairbanks, AK. Only in time things will be worked out for all that is concerned from the World Trade Center to opening a business in Fairbanks.