Cecilia Kate Roque oral history interview conducted by Amanda Mancuso, June 25, 2014

About

Cecilia is a television production manager. On 9/12/2001 Cecilia reported to the Jacob Javits Center to volunteer. After spending several hours in line, they took her name and number. Doubtful that they would call her back, Cecilia contacted the Red Cross, and went there to volunteer. She reported to Saint John's respite center, where she found the logistics station was swamped, so she jumped behind the table to help give out boots, shampoo, etc. She did this for two days a week, from about 4:00 PM to midnight until around Thanksgiving when the center was shut down. While it was upsetting to be there, she felt she was contributing and making a difference. In the beginning, everyone who came in was either FDNY or NYPD doing recovery. The responders would talk to the people behind the tables. The available social workers were not as "visible" as the volunteers behind the table with the boots. The responders told them stories of friends who had died. She felt it was important to listen to their stories. An NYPD officer drove her to Ground Zero where the destruction opened her eyes. She was amazed to see how deep the pit was. She asked, "What is that yellow smoke?" and the answer was, "Oh, poison and shit." That December, she realized she had a constant cough. She had time to process her experience, which had been like living in a war zone. "It seems incredible that people can create such destruction, devastation. And that people can come together and cope, and help."

Archive

Library of Congress, in Library of Congress

Licence or status

Rights statement at the Library of Congress, as the Library of Congress states it.

Credit

Library of Congress

Language

English

Country

United States

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