Remembering Those We Lost and Helping Future Victims of Mass Violence
By Anita Ahuja, MA, Manager, Mass Violence Response
Team, California Victim Compensation Board
As we approach the 18th
anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, we remember
those who lost their lives that day or were injured and how so many lives were
forever shattered by terrorism.
The attacks of that day
impacted California directly, as all four of the hijacked planes were scheduled
to arrive in our state, three to Los Angeles and one to San Francisco.
Immediately following the
tragedy, there was a lot of confusion which made it very difficult for the
California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB) to obtain a list of victims so we
could reach out to survivors and family members to inform them about benefits
and resources available to them.
Initially, we relied on airline manifests and outreach including media
announcements and press releases.
The California State
Legislature quickly passed emergency legislation to expand benefits for
victims, created county tolerance programs in response to hate crimes that were
occurring and provided $1 million in assistance to the State of New York for
their recovery efforts.
On October 9th, the
Governor’s Office held a Day of Remembrance on the West Steps of the Capitol to
remember those who died and to honor first responders.
Five-year old Sonali
Beaven sang beautifully during the ceremony, less than a month after losing her
father, Alan, on United Airlines Flight 93 which crashed outside of
Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Amidst her
tears and those of her mother, Kimi, they shared cherished family stories as we
spent time learning about their family history and what would help them heal
one step at a time. The memories of that day are vivid, as are the feelings we
experienced of losing our sense of normalcy and not knowing what to expect.
The federal Office for
Victims of Crime provided crisis response grants to CalVCB to host peer support
group meetings — a practice that worked well following the Oklahoma City
Bombing in 1995.
The groups met monthly
for approximately three years in Northern and Southern California, becoming one
of the greatest sources of healing for the family members and survivors. Since everyone had experienced the same
incident, they shared a common bond and were able to easily connect and support
each other through severe trauma, depression, substance abuse, the inability to
work, suicide and family separations.
Sadly, since the tragedy
of that day 18 years ago, mass violence incidents have grown significantly in
frequency and size. In California, we
have witnessed horrific events such as those in San Bernardino, Seal Beach,
Cedarville Rancheria, the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, the Chabad
House in Poway, the Gilroy Garlic Festival and the Route 91 Harvest Festival
shooting in Las Vegas where approximately 65% of the victims were from
California. Too many people have joined the ever-expanding group of mass
violence victims around the globe.
In response to these mass
violence events, CalVCB has established a mass violence emergency response plan
which includes a field response team trained in trauma-informed crisis response
and a detailed list of resources for assisting victims. Through statewide victim forums, we have been
able to learn about the ongoing and unmet needs of victims and survivors.
CalVCB has partnered with other government and community agencies to help meet
these on-going needs. The Antiterrorism
and Emergency Assistance Program (AEAP) in the federal Office for Victims of
Crime has also provided grants to assist with long-term recovery. This program has made a tremendous difference
through the support provided to victims.
More and more service
providers are stepping forward to share resources during times of mass
violence. The FBI has expanded its Rapid
Deployment Response Team which is activated in less than 24 hours. The Red Cross helps with setting up Family
Assistance Centers and providing for immediate needs such as food and
clothing. Corporations including Airbnb,
Uber, Lyft, major airlines and others provide complimentary accommodations and
transportation for victims and family members in need.
It is impossible to make
sense of the mass violence that has besieged our communities. Our hearts are continually broken when we
learn about the lives that have been taken.
I am reminded of my first encounter with victims of mass violence
shortly after September 11th.
A husband and wife, parents of an adult son who perished on one of the
planes that hit the World Trade Center, asked me “what sin did we commit that
God would punish us this way?” I
responded “you didn’t commit any sin. I
don’t know why this happened, but I know we will do everything we can to help
you get through this.”
And when the next mass
violence tragedy occurs, we will do everything we possibly can to assist. Our program provides assistance to reimburse
for medical, mental health, and funeral/burial expenses as well as income and
support loss. We help those with
catastrophic injuries with a variety of eligible expenses.
Know that we are ready to
help victims heal and recover in the midst of horrific pain. We have learned a
great deal about responding to mass violence and are prepared to respond when
the time comes. Our greatest hope is
that these tragedies will cease, but until they do, we are here to help.
The California Victim Compensation Board is dedicated to providing financial assistance for many crime-related expenses. Victims who suffer physical injury, threat of physical injury or emotional injury as a direct result of a violent crime may qualify for assistance. To learn more visit: https://victims.ca.gov/.