Description
Child's handmade collage created by a bereaved child related to a 9/11 victim. The collage is a cut-out of the child's hand and lower arm on a white piece of paper attached to a black piece of construction paper. The nails are colored purple. "Helping Hand" is handwritten on the hand in pencil and "Amy" is written in glitter glue. A cut-out heart on a tan piece of paper is attached to the wrist. Handwritten on the heart is text that reads: "Helping Hand With my Mom | I am trying to make my mommy feel better about | my dad. I know someday | she will feel better." The child who created this piece was responding to the art directive: "Draw a memory with Dad."

Historical Notes
The World Trade Center Family Center, opened by the South Nassau Communities Hospital in Rockville Centre, Long Island opened to assist 9/11 family members in the area as early as September 18th. In the beginning it was a place for people to get their basic needs met and to find answers and support. In the end, the Center served the community for nearly seven years, assisting over 2,000 people, including 700 children, and hosting 20 different support groups. The World Trade Center Family Center was designed to be an open and warm environment, decorated with children’s artwork and filled with toys, food, and comfortable couches. The Center offered grief counseling, programming to teach lifestyle skills, and community events to foster resiliency. The art therapy program was created by childhood trauma specialists intended to help children process their emotions using art. Prompts used in these art projects included a map of where emotions sit in the body, remembering positive memories of those who were now gone, and messages to the deceased.