Our mission at YEP is to present you with inspiring people, ideas, businesses, and stories. Within that hope is a steady effort to share with you as diverse a collection of these themes as possible—whether it be engaging content, an enchanting photograph, a link to an unforgettable website, and so much more. Exciting things happen when people’s hearts and minds are exposed to new and different experiences—in fact, the possibilities truly are endless.
A wonderful example of what we’re talking about is StoryCorps—a nonprofit “whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives.” Obviously, that’s just scratching the surface; there’s a whole lot more to this outfit. You should check them out as soon as you can. They’re doing amazing things, and have been for over eight years.
We were quite taken by some of their 9/11 work, and thought you might be, too.
John and Joe: John Vigiano, Sr. is a retired New York City firefighter whose two sons followed him into service—John, Jr. was a firefighter, as well, and Joe was a police detective. On September 11th, 2001, both Vigiano brothers responded to the call from the World Trade Center, and both were killed while saving others. Here, John, Sr. remembers his sons and reflects on coping with his tremendous loss.
She Was the One: When Richie Pecorella met Karen Juday, she captured his heart and changed his life. They were engaged and living together in Brooklyn when Karen was killed in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, where she worked as an administrative assistant. Here, Richie remembers Karen, his love and inspiration.
Always a Family: On the morning of September 11th, Michael Trinidad called his ex-wife, Monique Ferrer, from the 103rd floor of the World Trade Center’s North Tower, to say goodbye. In the wake of his death, Monique tells the story of Michael’s lasting legacy—the family they built together.
We certainly hope that you’ll check out StoryCorps—you might just find something there that will enrich your life. Either way, you’ll experience something innovative, something productive, something inspiring.
Check them out at storycorps.org and/or make a donation today.
Those were powerful. These people are beautiful and so strong. These stories definitely need to be shared.