September 19, 2024
Fornino, Brooklyn Bridge Park
6:00 – 9:00 PM
VIP Cocktail hour 5:00 – 6:00 PM

A surge in manmade and natural disasters has put an unprecedented strain on ready responders everywhere, and World Cares Center continues to
grow and evolve in order to better prepare and protect them here and abroad. As part of our annual fundraiser, the WCC community will gather to
celebrate our successes and pay tribute to this year’s honorees.

Please join our special guest and co-host Shelli Sonstein, co-host of Q104.3 NYC Radio’s “Jim Kerr Rock and Roll Morning Show” and the iHeart Radio “9/11 Stories” Podcast, as we thank our volunteers and support World Cares Center’s mission to train and protect Ready Responders.

Help us honor this year’s Lifetime of Service Awardee Elizabeth Crowley, President & CEO of the Building Trades Employers Association, for her steadfast dedication to protecting our responders and front-line workers.

A special thank you will be extended to Elizabeth Gatz, Nimat Haque, Steve Goodrich and Gayathri Punukollu, our valued tech volunteers who
assisted in the redesign of WCC’s Knowledge and Coordination Center.

Enjoy Fornino’s best dishes prepared by Iron Skillet Master Chef Michael Ayoub. Sip on a specialty Tito’s cocktail or quench your thirst with a craft
beer from Brooklyn Brewery.

Your support will help us train citizens to become ready responders, and support those on the front line of disaster response

Collaborative Disaster Volunteer Credential

The tragic attack of September 11th has taught us many things, not the least of which is that we must protect our Ready Responders, the people
that come out to help others in their most desperate time of need.

Since 2001, disasters have increased in frequency and in severity. We are faced with compound issues and a rising number of constituents in
need. Our organizations are also tasked with finding new ways to serve while keeping everyone safe. How do we tackle such a mounting challenge
while remaining resilient and healthy ourselves?

A board of advisors has joined forces to create a three-tiered Collaborative Disaster Volunteer Credential training program that provides a solid
foundation of knowledge for any disaster volunteer. Founded in the aftermath of the attacks of September 11th, the World Cares Center and its
partners understand the need to train all types of volunteers to work together safely and with a common understanding of how things should get
done. Often grassroots groups do not have the resources to develop and deliver their own training, and this is where the Collaborative comes in.
New members are encouraged to join this collaborative movement that improves our ability to work together, share resources, and reduce
responder injuries.

The Collaborative Disaster Volunteer Credential is made up of three trainings – one for managers and leaders and two for volunteers. To learn
more about these trainings, please click HERE.

Emotional Resiliency and Suicide Prevention Trainings

World Cares Center offers emotional resiliency and suicide prevention trainings through our Resilient Worker Initiative. The goal of these training
modules is to raise awareness on workplace mental health and suicide prevention among managers and staff. The Resilient Worker Initiative targets
businesses that may not have the resources to train and develop mental health related programs.

The Resilient Worker Initiative offers four different training modules – two for workers and staff, offered in English and Spanish, and two for
employers and managers. Throughout the training modules information and resources will be shared on currently known mental health and
workers and managers, on understanding signs of suicidal thoughts and methods to mitigate their impact and build a resiliency tool kit. Managers will
also learn how to build a worker resiliency program within their organization.

Hope, Love and Courage

The Hope, Love and Courage program was founded during the September 11th relief effort and offered at our community center, September
Space, for rescue workers, disaster volunteers and survivors.

World Cares Center, with two decades of experience in emotional resilience, mental health and art therapy, has created a guidebook for caregivers
that includes a coloring book for affected children and a journal for young adults. These publications have been translated into several languages
to help child survivors manage their trauma and grief.

Knowledge and Collaboration Center

WCC is in the process of developing a new platform that will include all the features of www.ReadyResponders.org andwww.disastervolunteerismacademy.org This platform will be offered free of charge, available 24/7 starting in 2024. It will help users to get training to prepare for emergencies, disaster volunteer, acquire the skills and tools they need to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disaster safely all from one site that will be available to community organizers and volunteers anywhere.

Ukraine

In Lviv, World Cares Center delivered “MedPut’s” loosely translated as Medical Clinics in six refugee camps providing medical care for all refugees
including specialty care for women and children.

WCC also set up Emotional Resiliency Workshops for Families and Children which provided healing journals for children and guides for parents
translated into Ukrainian to help child survivors manage their trauma and grief. Close to 1,000 kits have so far been distributed.

WCC’s monthly Ukraine Service Providers Roundtable provided a source of support and connection to resources for providers.
In 2023 WCC worked with local NGO’s and Universities to provide Train the Trainer sessions to expand our Resiliency work by empowering Ukrainian
students and providers to deliver the program.