Citizens Options Unlimited Commemorates 25th Anniversary of September 11
This year marked the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001. The Citizens Options Unlimited community gathered to remember the lives lost, honor the bravery of first responders, and recognize the many people who continue to live with lasting health impacts. Observances were held at the Shoreham Intermediate Care Facility, Helen Kaplan Center, and the Plainview office as part of the remembrance program across our family of organizations, including Brookville Center for Children’s Services and AHRC Nassau.
At 10 a.m., the Citizens community gathered at their sites’ flagpoles for a moment of reflection and remembrance. The ceremonies offered an opportunity to honor loved ones, friends, colleagues, or anyone touched by 9/11.
At the Helen Kaplan Center, people listened and sang patriotic songs while housemates held American flags.
Across each location, the remembrance connected the events of September 11 with the courage, service, and unity that followed — and the importance of carrying those values forward today.
“The spirit of unity is not an easy one. We found it because that moment demanded it of all of us. It was how we chose to answer, with kindness — with strength — together,” said Stanfort Perry, CEO, during the ceremony. “Twenty-five years later, let it call us forward again, not as a memory of what we once did, but as a standard for what we still can. May we carry that unity and strength with us today, and every day forward, in service to one another.”
That spirit of unity could be felt across the Citizens community, bringing people together in remembrance and connection.
“It meant a lot for us to pause on this 25th anniversary,” said Sallyanne Burgess, Vice President of Operations. “It was uplifting to come together outside, share respect and friendship, and look ahead to the future.”