Twenty-five years ago, our nation stood in collective grief and made a promise to never forget… and then, slowly, we moved on.

I spent the year following 9/11 at Ft. Bragg, backfilling for the 528th Special Operations as they deployed overseas, witnessing firsthand the weight of that promise in action. While a sense of normalcy returned for many of us, in the shadow of that loss, thousands of children began a journey none of them chose, the absence of a parent, a hero, a piece of their foundation.  Spouses navigated life without their partner. 9/11 first responders carried both visible and invisible wounds.

For them, 9/11 did not fade into history. It shaped every milestone, every quiet moment, every step forward.

As a country, we made a promise: they would not walk that path alone.  Tuesday’s Children honored that promise by helping children of 9/11 grow into adulthood, with the support of mentors and connection to peers with shared experiences, while supporting spouses as they rebuilt their lives.

Grief does not follow a timeline. Twenty-five years later, many are reaching out for support for the very first time. Milestone years reopen wounds. Life events bring absence into sharper focus. For 9/11 first responders, new challenges have emerged, including financial hardships tied to ongoing 9/11-related medical illnesses, and new widows and widowers emerging due to 9/11 and the aftermath, every year.

The collective grief that once united a nation often left little room for individual healing. That is why our work continues.

As we mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11, my goal is to raise $25,000 to ensure that no one in the 9/11 community seeking services, has to navigate this next chapter alone. No donation is too small to provide essential services, from case management and peer support groups to trade scholarships that help build lasting financial security.

We may have moved on—but they are still carrying it.

Please join us in reaffirming our promise to never forget, not just in memory, but in action.