Most Inspiring of the Month

Jay Winuk

Jay Winuk lost his younger brother, Glenn, an attorney and firefighter, in the line of duty on 9/11. His brother’s heroism and life long devotion to community service inspired Winuk to co-found MyGoodDeed.org, a nonprofit leading the movement to transform 9/11 into an annually recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance. Currently serving as Vice President and Secretary, Winuk is helping to build the 9/11 Day Observance initiative. A passionate advocate for volunteering and national service, he is a frequent public speaker on volunteerism, 9/11, and service-related topics. In 2006, Winuk was honored with the “Building Bridges Award” from the Voices of September 11^th advocacy group and in 2008 he was awarded, along with MyGoodDeed.org co-founder David Paine, the nation’s highest volunteer service recognition: The President’s Call to Service Award. His efforts have inspired thousands to be actively involved in service to their communities.

Susan Retik and Patti Quigley

Susan Retik and Patti Quigley were both widowed on 9/11. Quigley’s husband Patrick was killed while traveling on United Flight 175 and Retik’s husband David was killed on American Flight 11. After meeting, the women quickly became friends and began the process of healing together. Both were deeply moved by the outpouring of support received by family, friends and strangers andver time Retik began to feel a kinship to the widows of Afghanistan. Both deeply moved by the outpouring of support received by family and burdened by Afghan widows’ desperate plight, she shared her thoughts with Quigley and in 2003 andthey formed Beyond the 11th, a non-profit organization that empowers widows in Afghanistan who have been afflicted by war, terrorism, and oppression. In 2006, Retik and Quigley travelled to Afghanistan to meet their Afghan counterparts and see firsthand the work of Beyond the 11th. Their inspirational journey was documented in the award-winning film Beyond Belief.

Lisa Beamer

On September 11, 2001, Todd M. Beamer was one of the heroic passengers on United Airlines Flight 93. His unselfish efforts and sacrifice resulted in the downing of the plane in rural Pennsylvania with minimal loss of life. The Todd M. Beamer Foundation was subsequently founded by his wife, Lisa Beamer, to help the children of that fateful day. Funds were allocated not only to those who lost their parents, but also to those who witnessed the attacks first-hand and face serious long-term mental health needs. Now called Heroic Choices (2004), the organization currently offers programs that help children who have experienced family trauma work with caregivers or mentors to build resiliency and self-esteem. It also provides training for caregivers and mentors to help guide and support their children through life.

Stephen and Elizabeth Alderman

Stephen and Elizabeth Alderman’s 25 year old son, Peter, was killed on 9/11 while attending a conference at Windows on the World in the World Trade Center. In an effort to honor their son, the Alderman’s established the Peter C. Alderman Foundation (PCAF) as a 501(c)(3) charity that alleviates the suffering of victims of terrorism and mass violence in post-conflict countries by providing indigenous physicians and other local caregivers with the tools to treat mental anguish using Western medical therapies combined with local healing traditions. Through the efforts of this inspirational couple, the Peter C. Alderman Foundation has trained 216 doctors and currently runs clinics in Haita, Uganda, Rawanda, and Cambodia reaching over 100,000 suffering people, healing their psychological wounds and allowing them to return to productive lives.

Lisa Orloff

In the aftermath of 9/11, Lisa Orloff (a 9/11 volunteer) founded World Cares Center and as Executive Director, developed its first program, the “September Space” community centers, serving the needs of the volunteers and responders affected by the attacks of 9/11 and later the Gulf Coast hurricanes. From November 2001 through December 2007 the September Space centers served over 45,000 individuals through a staff of fourteen fulltime employees, fifty professional volunteers and hundreds of programs delivered through partnerships and collaboration. Through World Cares Center, Orloff has trained thousands of responders in 20 states and three countries. Considered a champion in the field of community volunteer emergency management, this inspirational nonprofit leader remains committed to supporting national initiatives that enhance community-led response and recovery efforts in areas preparing for or recovering from disasters.

Mary Fetchet

Mary Fetchet, LCSW, is the Founding Director and driving force behind VOICES of September 11^th, a nonprofit non-partisan organization she co-founded in 2001 following the death of her 24 year old son, Brad, in the World Trade Center attacks. VOICES of September 11^th provides information, support services and annual commemorative events for 9/11 families, rescue workers and survivors and promotes public policy reform on prevention, preparedness and response to terrorism, building bridges between international communities changed by terrorism. Fetchet’s inspirational work has brought her substantial recognition and countless appearances on television and radio. She has received several awards for her inspiring efforts including the National Justice Award in 2003, ABC News Person of the Year in 2004 and Connecticut’s Most Uncommon Woman Award in 2006.

Lynch Family

Michael Francis Joseph Lynch, FDNY Badge #2315, was killed in the line of duty during the attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11. His friends and family, including 9 brothers and sisters, established The Michael Lynch Memorial Foundation in his honor. MLMF is a scholarship program dedicated to providing grants to enable children of firefighters and other victims of the September 11 attacks and other fires and disasters to afford higher education. Through the Lynch family’s efforts, The Michael Lynch Memorial Foundation has awarded 75 scholarships totaling over 1.6 million dollars since 2002. From a terrible tragedy, they have offered financial help for the education of young people as a living tribute to the human spirit and their collective resolve to respond to adversity with courage, strength, compassion and hope.

Terry Grace Sears

Terry Grace Sears is the Executive Director of Tuesday’s Children, a nonprofit family service organization that has made a long term commitment to every individual impacted by the events of 9/11 and more recently those who have been impacted by terrorist incidents worldwide. Since 2001, Tuesday’s Children has promoted healing and recovery by strengthening family resilience, providing individual coping and life management skills and creating community through programs, mental health support and family engagement opportunities. Sears is the inspirational driving force behind this organization’s continued efforts to fulfill "The Promise" of supporting the children of 9/11 into adulthood while providing services to all families and first responders impacted by this tragic event, along with those globally affected by acts of terrorism.

Donald Goodrich

It was after the loss of his son, Peter Goodrich, on United Flight 175 that Donald Goodrich became one of the founders of Families of September 11^th, INC (FOS11), an organization that supports children and families of victims and champion’s domestic and international policies that respond to the threat of terrorism. Goodrich,an attorney, has been an active participant in analyzing and recommending improvements to the Victim Compensation Fund as well as various forms of ongoing and potential litigation against organizations whose actions have affected victim’s rights. He helped develop questions for the online 9/11 Grief Survey, was involved in the petitioning of Congress for legislation in support of the 9/11 Commission and raised money to build a girls’ school in Afghanistan.

Michele Ritter

W. Knox Richardson and Michele Ritter watched in silence as the towers collapsed on September 11, 2011. As the reported death toll continued to rise,Ritter wondered how many children just lost their parents. Within hours of the attacks they formed the Twin Towers Orphan Fund. Ritter obtained the domain name, developed a web presence, infrastructure and primary source of communications the next day. The fund’s mission is to provide long-term higher education assistance and physical and mental healthcare assistance to the children who lost parents in the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and children of victims of future terrorist attacks. Ritter’s efforts have helped raise millions of dollars and touched thousands of lives through the fund benefitting more than 1,200 children in 26 states and territories including 32 babies born after 9/11.