NEW YORK—New Yorkers and visitors from around the world gathered under cloudy skies near the site of fallen World Trade towers, quietly mourning the victims of the September 11 attacks.
With construction fast underway at Ground Zero, the annual Sept. 11 remembrance ceremony was successfully held on Tuesday at an adjacent location. The solemn sixth anniversary ceremony attracted thousands of mourners.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose office recently launched a 9/11 Health website, and other dignitaries were on hand to speak to the somber crowd. As the custom has become since 2002, the names of all the victims were to be read throughout the day.
The change of venue was indicative of the tide of changes that are underway six years after the terrorist attacks claimed the lives of nearly 3,000.
In the world, U.S. troop levels in Iraq have reached what will likely be the highest amount, with General David Petraeus seeing a reduction by next July.
In the nation, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is hoping to ride his popularity from the Sept. 11 attacks to the Republican presidential nomination. Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced this week she is trying to secure federal funding for those whose health was affected by the toxic fumes created in the attacks.
In New York City, Lower Manhattan is rebounding thanks to tax breaks and liberty bonds from the local and federal government, after the economic fallout it experienced post-attacks. This week Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched an interactive Web site documenting scientific research and offering service for those affected by the attacks.
At Ground Zero, three pillars stand in the construction of the Freedom Tower, scheduled for completion in 2012. Families of those who died during the Sept. 11 attacks got a chance to descend into the pit thanks a plan they ironed out with the city of New York and the site owners.
September Space
Each New Yorker probably has their own story of post-9/11 change for fashion designer Lisa Orloff the changes have also been dramatic. On Sept. 11, 2001, Orloff said, "I saw everything that everybody else did the dust, the running people…"
While Orloff didn't lose anyone in the attack, the effect ran deep. "My reaction was our country, our city was attacked—I, as a New Yorker, had a duty to serve our city during its greatest time of need. I had lived in the city for many years and soaked up everything the city had to give and it was time to give back," she said.
In the three weeks after 9/11, Orloff found herself coordinating 300 spontaneous volunteers like herself. The Army National Guard supplied her with a truck and two national guardsmen to run supplies down to workers and volunteers at Ground Zero.
In the months that followed, Orloff quit the fashion industry and made a career out of coordinating between communities, big relief organizations and the government.
Orloff's non-profit organization, World Cares Center, now runs two community centers in Lower Manhattan and Midtown Manhattan. Dubbed "September Space," they are the only remaining drop-in centers where those affected by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks can still go to get immediate help. The centers hold workshops, stress management sessions, and provide multi-language information about benefits available for those who are still suffering mentally and physically from the Sept. 11 attacks.
"I first visited World Cares Center's September Space in Lower Manhattan in January 2006, attracted by the possibility of acupuncture treatment for my chronic post 9/11 sinus congestion," said Lower Manhattan resident Evelyn Rudahl in a letter to the center. "Thanks to weekly acupuncture sessions, I was able to discontinue decongestants I had been taking daily."
While World Cares Center doesn't actually perform acupuncture on its premises, it connects individuals with the appropriate provider and helps get the funding. Rudahl said that many of her friends and neighbors in Lower Manhattan moved away after Sept. 11 due not only to the attacks but also the continued construction and all of its noise and traffic disruptions. She praised the center for making her stay in Lower Manhattan easier.
"Health information sessions sponsored by World Cares Center have been extremely useful, since they bring together medical and public health professionals with the populations (including myself) who are at long term risk from exposure to 9/11 toxins," said Rudahl.
'Drying Up'
Each year since September 11, 2001, the number of organizations that popped up spontaneously like World Cares Center has shrunk, going from hundreds to a handfull.
World Cares Center's funds are also "drying up," said Orloff.
Last year's fifth Sept. 11 anniversary received a huge amount of media attention as the half-decade mark, and finally spurred on construction of the Freedom Tower at Ground Zero. Unfortunately for organizations like World Cares Center, it also marked a change in popular opinion—from strong support to weak.
"Funders went back to their traditional pre-9/11 initiatives," said Orloff. "I think it's a big mistake to put a broad stroke across everything and say no more 9/11 donations."
Now, 60 to 70 percent of what World Cares Center does goes on outside its Sept. 11 program and focuses on citizen preparedness for responding to disasters and working with homeland security leadership to manage citizen resources. In the wake of the Deutsche Bank Building fire last month that killed two firefighters, Lower Manhattan residents came to World Cares Center for guidance on how to prepare themselves in case of another disaster.
"They are disillusioned with the idea of waiting for somebody to tell them what to do," said Orloff.
World Cares Center is currently seeking to diversify its funding and in two weeks Orloff will head to Washington, D.C. to secure funding from the federal government.
Last week, New York Senator Chuck Schumer released his annual Homeland Security Report Card giving them an overall grade of "C." In particular, the Democratic senator gave the Department of Homeland Security a "D+" for cutting New York short on funding and using a convoluted allocation system that includes counting a petting zoo in Woodville, Alabama as a terrorist target. He also gave the DHS an "F" in the category of preparedness and response for the lack of improvement in communication.
"People say are we safer than we were on 9/11? Yes. Are we safe enough? Absolutely not," said Sen. Schumer in front on Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
Orloff might be able to find a space for World Care Centers in Schumer's criticism, allowing her to seek funding that's being mismanaged so that she can improve citizen preparedness and response.
In a letter, Sen. Schumer said, "Funding will enable the World Cares Center to continue to support the Lower Manhattan community and the broader New York City population."
 Memorial lights pierce the sky near Ground Zero in New York City on the eve of the 6 year anniversary of 9/11. (Genevieve Long/The Epoch Times)
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 An American flag overlooks the site of Ground Zero in New York on the eve of the 6 year anniversary of 9/11. Fences surround the site this year due to construction. (Genevieve Long/The Epoch Times)
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 An unidentified man leans his head against the fence around Ground Zero on Sept. 11. (Genevieve Long/The Epoch Times)
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 A choir sings to memorialize the victims and to recall the peaceful times that have been lost. (The Epoch Times)
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 People prayed, meditated, and beat drums to honor the victims of 9-11. (The Epoch Times)
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 A sorrowful woman weeps quietly next to the World Trade Center site, holding a bouquet of flowers for a lost loved one. (The Epoch Times)
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 A visitor mourns a family member lost in the 9-11 attacks. (The Epoch Times)
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 Firefighters come to mourn their fallen comrades. (The Epoch Times)
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 A young man is crushed with sorrow for the lost lives. (The Epoch Times)
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 A young lady wraps herself in a flag printed with the names of the victims. (The Epoch Times)
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