9.11.01 A day none of us will forget. The lives lost, so horrific and unforgettable. Today the terror of the Taliban is indescribable in Afghanistan, wiping out so much of the strides made over the past 20 years. Have you thought of how you might commemorate 9/11 and/or help the people in Afghanistan?
I will be supporting an organization called “Beyond the 11th”, co-founded and run by my friend Susan Retik whose husband was killed by the Taliban as he was in the first plane to crash into the World Trade Center. She was pregnant with her 3rd child, Dina, turning 20 this year.
Susan decided to act, to help those women who did not have the support that she had after such a terrible loss. She and co-founder Patti Quigley formed Beyond the 11th, a humanitarian organization that partners with international aid groups to provide job training and economic opportunity to Afghan widows. Patti also lost her husband during 9/11, while pregnant. Today Patti is Executive Director of the Zabuli School for Women, noted below.
As we all know, this year, on the 20th anniversary, things are worse than ever. The strides made over the past 20 years including women building their own businesses and building schools are all in jeopardy. Now more than ever these women need help. “Beyond the 11th” and CARE* are continuing to help these women.
1. Last week, Beyond the 11th made a new grant to CARE to be put toward emergency aid. The money will be used to distribute multi-purpose cash (recipients choose how they use their funds) to Afghans who have fled their homes and recently arrived in Kabul. CARE is prioritizing women-led households because they know how difficult access to even basic humanitarian services will be for them and their children. To prevent further risks of COVID-19 transmission, CARE will provide hygiene kits. And, based on CARE’s research and experience in the country, they will also support women and girls’ access to menstrual hygiene products, food, education, and health services that include gender-based violence support.
2. In June, Beyond the 11th gave a grant to Razia’s Ray of Hope for direct cash assistance to widow-headed households of children attending the Zabuli school. That grant has not been affected by the recent events. We have been assured that the program will continue and that the Zabuli school is, in fact, opened a few days ago.
On Sept 10th,11th, and 12th I will ride my bike with Susan and her family, Patti and about 35 others, 260 miles from Ground Zero, NYC to Susan’s home in Needham, MA. We have already raised over $350K to directly help these women through CARE’s efforts.
So here is something you can do - you don’t have to ride the 260 miles (I’ll do that!), but please support the women and children by donating to my fundraising for “Beyond the 11th”. Our ride is aptly called Beyond the Bike. See the links below to donate, and to learn more about “Beyond the 11th” and Susan Retik, and to watch our video from the 2019 ride that we did two years ago.
To donate: http://www.pledgereg.com/280728
Trailer for Susan and Patti’s Documentary: https://www.beyondthe11th.org/beyond-belief
For laughs and tears: : Our 2019 ride (Vimeo clip but no need for Vimeo account)
To learn more: https://www.beyondthe11th.org/about-us
Please let me know if you have any questions!!
XXOO
Robin
*Please know that CARE has been operating in Afghanistan since 1961 and is committed to remaining and continuing their programming over the long-run. Truly, there is no better way to assist right now than to give money. We can assure you that all donations are in US Banks until ready to be distributed and will go directly to those who need it most. We have complete trust in our partners working on the ground in Afghanistan who are able to navigate this complex political landscape to ensure that funds are used properly.