Latest / Stream of Consciousness with Dan: Stories from the Midwest / Stream of Consciousness #69 - Gail Graeve & Teresa Mardesen - Heartland Honors 9/11

Transcript

Stream of Consciousness #69 - Gail Graeve & Teresa Mardesen - Heartland Honors 9/11 · Stream of Consciousness with Dan: Stories from the Midwest

• 0:16
  SPEAKER_02: We are live.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome back to Stream of Consciousness with Dan.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_02: Today we're stepping into a conversation that sits right on the intersection of community, remembrance, and action.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_02: I'm very grateful that you're here with us today.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_02: We're talking about Heartland Honors 9-11, the 11 days of service happening right here in Omaha.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_02: It started September 1st and it runs through September 11th.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_02: It was created to honor first responders as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_02: It's a moment for the Heartland to show up with intention and to remember through service.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_02: I'm joined by two incredible individuals who are leading this effort with clarity and heart.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_02: Teresa Mardson is the Executive Director of Share Omaha, and Gail Grave, Vice President of Social Impact at Mutual of Omaha.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you both so much for taking the time to be here with us today and the work you're doing.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_02: I'm looking forward to the conversation.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome to the podcast.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_02: How are you doing?
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_01: Doing great.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_01: Doing good.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: Glad to be here.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks, Dan.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, absolutely.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_02: We're gonna have a lot of fun.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_02: We're gonna get a lot of information.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_02: And uh I I really just want to start with the with the origin story, you know, how Heartland Honors 9-11 kind of started, you know, probably started as a seed and obviously is is blooming quite well, if I do say so.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_02: So, what kind of moved you and your organizations to to build this initiative, The 11 Days of Service?
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so you know, about six months ago or so, the CEO of Mutual Obama, James Blackledge, started visiting with other community leaders just to kind of think about and explore what was being planned in our community for the 25th anniversary of 9-11.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_03: And quickly discovered that we we didn't have a concerted effort that was being planned and really saw an opportunity here.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_03: So the first early steps were uh initially reaching out to the First Responders Foundation.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_03: They do have an annual luncheon, it's a signature event that's been held in Omaha for several years to remember uh 9-11 and also raise money for their cause and awareness for the work that they do.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_03: So we we visited with them and also talked to Mayor John Hewing.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_03: You know, it's the year of the neighbor that the mayor is designated, so it's a really nice fit with his vision for the city and the way that all of us can come together and support each other.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_03: And also, he's a former first responder, as we know, as a police officer.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_03: And so this is very meaningful to him.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_03: And from there, it just grew.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_03: We started to really think about how we can activate this in the community, and we started thinking about all the different pockets of the community.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_03: And so we created a steering committee, and we had folks who were representing um education.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_03: So uh uh uh K through 12, you know, the superintendent of OPS, Matt Ray, is on the committee, for example.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_03: We also had a lot of folks from the public sector.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_03: I like to say all the chiefs are here, Chief Potter, Chief Glassman, um, Chief Warren representing the public sector and talking with their peers uh in the other municipalities here in the Omaha Metro.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_03: We also have a number of nonprofit organizations, youth serving organizations like Completely Kids and the Boys and Girls Club, along with organizations like the Salvation Army, who have been phenomenal in helping us with uh volunteering and the sign distribution.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_03: We've also worked with the arts and museums.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_03: There's a lot of history right here in Omaha.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_03: We know Omaha played a pivotal role that day.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, creative expression is important, and along with other corporate peers, and then of course, representation and connectivity of the Offit Air Force Base, too.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, Tim Burke representing us with the Offit Advisory Council.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_03: So, really a wide range of folks in the community Tri-Faith Initiative, too, thinking about the faith community as well.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_03: So, what happens when you start naming names, you don't want to forget anyone, but all of our community champions and folks are listed on our website.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_03: But really, it was a way to think about how can we activate this across every sector because we want everyone to see themselves and have the opportunity to participate.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, for sure.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_02: And I just think it's great because I mean, obviously, it was a horrendous event, and I don't remember if it was you or Teresa who had told me like we never want to experience a 9-11 again, but we'd love to, you know, live every day like it's September 12th, because it really brought everyone together, not just a certain sector, not just you know, the first responders or people in New York, but people from all across the country.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_02: So I love kind of you know what this initiative is doing.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_02: Uh Teresa, do you have anything you'd like to add to that?
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_01: Sure, I agree.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_01: It's the um afterward, and people immediately um people want to know how can I help, what can I do, and people just um sharing all kinds of acts of generosity and um service.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so yeah, I agree and echo that.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_01: And um what more powerful way to express gratitude um than continue helping each other in that way of service um and uh volunteering in order to honor uh what happened that day.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_02: I've caught you guys basically right in the middle of 11 days of service.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_02: I'd love to hear uh from what you guys have seen how things have been going, uh some of the early moments.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_02: I know you mentioned the yard sign distribution.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_02: I certainly see them around my neighborhood, uh, some of the kickoff events, and then talk about kind of what you're looking forward to ahead.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_02: I know tomorrow there's the luncheon uh who uh you guys have Will Jimeno who is uh I think he was trapped for how many days under the rubble?
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_02: It was 13 hours.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, 13 hours, yeah.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_02: And uh he'll be speaking at that, so that'll be very powerful.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, if you could just walk us through what the first couple days have looked like and what you're looking forward to.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so when we kicked this off, we had a press conference 30 days ago, uh on on August 11th, and we was just so appreciative and pleased that Teresa could speak at that press conference because when we think about reflecting, remembering, and honoring first responders, there's no better way to do that than through acts of service.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_03: And that's really what Share Omaha is all about.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_03: And so we think we're excited to partner with them because we think that this effort really not only provides an opportunity for that unity that you mentioned to come together, but it really elevates what Share Omaha does really well.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_03: Every day, y'all wake up thinking about how we can get folks in our community along with Share Iowa, you partner with United Way of the Midlands, countless nonprofit organizations, just to think about how we can give back.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_03: And there's no um, there's there's no short list, if you will, of ways that folks can um participate, even simple acts of kindness, you know, and folks of all ages.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_03: But you know, Teresa, you have been such an early adopter and started getting the word out, you know, earlier in the summer to help nonprofits prepare for this so that we can activate this campaign with service.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_03: So would love for you to share kind of all the work that you all have been doing.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely, Gail.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_01: We we thought we are definitely moved to um celebrate through generosity of service and um we celebrate all acts of generosity.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_01: So we reached out immediately, okay, we're doing this, let's mobilize and um let's uh make it contagious.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and we do that by getting the information and get the opportunities out.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so yeah, we've that's what we've been doing this summer.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, the nonprofits you mentioned, Gail, um, that are part of this um take part.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: And then uh the nonprofits we reached out to, absolutely, there's always a need, there's always ways to volunteer.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: And again, even people don't realize even simple things like um even words make a difference.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we had nonprofits who are like, we we need inspiration cards written, or we need thank you cards written.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, great.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and you know, fast forward to these 11 days of service, already we have seen um, we had a teammate's mentor and mentee uh join an event at Clover 24 uh first Friday last week.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um we like I said, we have the community step up right away, make gratitude cards.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um we have there's still opportunities such as Project Harmony, uh chalking sidewalks with messages of hope.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_01: And again, that goes back to the ideas that came to us this summer through nonprofits we reached out to.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um we've got the event uh this Friday at Shadow Ridge uh music festival.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and you can support uh and by helping the 50 Mile March, which are our first, you know, our our service in our military.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um so that's a way people are already signing up to serve and already did.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um so it's been contagious and meaningful and high energy uh since we heard about this and started reaching out.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_01: Immediate response here's what people can do.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um and we celebrate always people, you know, all acts of kindness, all acts of generosity.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_02: Oh man.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_01: Pretty amazing.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I love hearing that because I think 99.9% of people really do enjoy and want to volunteer, but sometimes it's just like where do I start?
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_02: Do I just go to the Salvation Army or they you know they may not see an outlet, but yeah, like you're talking to with this, you can really I mean you can do anything.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_02: You can something as simple as a thank you note.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_02: Who doesn't have the time to write a simple thank you note to someone?
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_02: Or I mean go to a music festival.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_02: I love music.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_02: That sounds like an incredible um opportunity to you know so to support the message.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_02: So I love all the different outlets that you guys have chosen that I mean, literally everyone can find something that they can enjoy and give back to the community into this uh initiative.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_02: So I love those answers very, very much.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_02: And then uh I think we're gonna segue, I wanted or excuse me, segue into the next generation.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_02: And I'll get a little personal because I mean I was nine years old on 9-11 in 2001.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_02: Ironically, I was homesick that day, so as a nine-year-old boy, all I wanted to do was sit in mom and dad's bed and watch Sports Center.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm like flipping through the channels, I'm like, where's Sports Center, where Sports Center, where Sports Center, and all I saw was this building with you know smoke coming out of it.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_02: I had no idea what was going on.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and then you know, I hear that a plane had crashed into the building.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_02: I knew that my dad was actually in the air at that time, and so I'm nine.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_02: I don't even know where he was going, probably nowhere near New York City, but I mean, I was terrified, I was confused, and I just wanted to kind of get your guys' stories, if you wouldn't mind, of what that day felt like for you, because it will always be ingrained in my memory, like exactly where I was and how I felt.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_02: And I think it's kind of an important part of the story.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_03: So I was supposed to fly on 9-11, and um, I was flying for work.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_03: I was scheduled to fly to Philadelphia on American Airlines, so I was watching the Today Show as my husband was finishing um getting ready so he could drive me to the airport, and it was shocking, absolutely shocking what was unfolding and um unimaginable.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_03: And so I, of course, did not get on the plane that day.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_03: I went to work, and at the time, the company that I was working for was in the flight pattern of Offit Air Force Base.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_03: And so when Air Force One landed in Omaha, it was uh haunting, um, it was shocking, um, and and it was um, you know, made everyone question kind of what was happening, what was going on.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_03: You know, and at that time, 25 years ago, when reflecting back, uh, I was traveling again 30 days later.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_03: And on October um 11th, I was in another market in Tennessee and a local reporter interviewed me at the airport and said, What do you do differently because of 9-11?
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_03: And I replied, I always carry my cell phone now because that was a time when cell phones were more kind of in case of emergency.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_03: You really weren't um having it around all the time, but I was thinking about people who were responding to their loved ones.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_03: And when I think about, you know, the folks that ran towards the danger that day and every day, it's personal for me because my dad was a volunteer firefighter for over 50 years in our small community.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_03: Um, my two of my three brothers are law enforcement, now retired, and my nephew also is law enforcement.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_03: And so there was just um a strong personal connection and thinking about the sacrifices that I saw for people in my family who saw this as a calling.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_03: And it made me just really think very um thoughtfully and um with appreciation for those, not only those first responders that were responding that day, but also their families and the sacrifices that they make every day, their community and for our country.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, Teresa, do you have anything you'd like to share?
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, um, yeah, I echo it.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we we all remember uh where we were and what we were doing.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_01: I was at work and um when it happened, and like you said, we you know, we remember what we were doing where we were, but also how we felt.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_01: And that's what uh remains for me is that feeling and the feeling that you know, processing through it.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_01: And then I remember feeling the next day, noticing right away what people do is they immediately they want to help each other, they want to comfort each other, they want to show compassion.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_01: And um, so that's what has remained for me is yes, you know, all those feelings, but the remaining feelings of um people immediately want to help.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_01: They immediately want to people just come together, and um it has rang true since then.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_01: And I always think about this, you know, people want to know what can I do?
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_01: And we saw that.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um, people step up absolutely.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but I believe, you know, the moment we start to do things is the moment we start to understand things.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_01: And for me, that feeling of um, I really think that's true.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_01: And I think back to then it's like we start it, that was part of our processing was the doing.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_01: And so that kind of you know is very um kind of mirrors today and what we're doing with um, you know, Heartland honors and these days of service is when you do, you create understanding, you're engaging, you're building community like never before, you're taking care of each other.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so reflecting on um that those same feelings.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_01: So it's the doing.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I keep going back to that.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um, when I think about the feelings, it was the doing in the taking care of each other.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_01: So, and celebrating that and um that that remains, and that's um that's where the hope is.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um so it came, you know, just came down to hope.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_01: We take care of each other that maintains the hope.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_02: I I love that you mentioned, you know, the doing, you have to do it to understand.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_02: And at my age, like I said, I was nine.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_02: I there really wasn't anything for me to do at that age, and I certainly probably wouldn't even have understood it anyways.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_02: Uh but um, and I I'll just share a quick story.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_02: It's it's funny, but it's not funny.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_02: I remember the first anniversary of 9-11, you know, playing in the backyard after school, eyes glued to the sky, thinking like a plane was going to, you know, come down and bomb us, whether that's a re rational way to react to that or not.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_02: But just the impression that it left on me that I grew up in Kansas.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_02: So just a kid growing up in the middle of Kansas, how much that had an effect on me is just kind of crazy.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_02: And it's a good kind of transition into what I really want to talk to.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_02: Is I mean, there's an entire generation out there now who didn't experience 9-11.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_02: They don't, you know, have that ingrained into their brains, you know, they might just read it in a history book or or something like that.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_02: So I kind of want your guys' input on how we can continue to, you know, honor their legacy, the first responders from 9-11 specifically, but just the power and the importance of first responders in general, because that should not be lost in the conversation.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_03: I think we definitely have living um history.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_03: People who uh are of a generation who are able to speak to what they were doing that day.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_03: For many of us who weren't alive during the Kennedy assassination, this is kind of our Kennedy moment.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_03: There are moments that um that mark generations.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_03: And at the same time, to your point, we have generations of folks who are coming up who don't have that lived experience.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_03: It's so important to tell the history and have them understand the history for several reasons.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_03: One is that we really want to honor, reflect, and remember the people who lost their lives that day, um, the people who sacrificed and the people who were heroes in the actions that they took.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, there's no question about that.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_03: And we also want to just think about the significance in our history.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_03: And, you know, Teresa, I love what you said, just about how you described the days, the weeks, the months that followed.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_03: And we have so many young people that are living in a time where our society is really divided.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_03: And many folks maybe don't haven't lived in a time where there was more unification, more empathy, more true care of our neighbors, a little more patience, a little kinder, uh gentler way that we all had, and the way that we took care of one another in a way that, you know, younger folks may not appreciate because they don't see it as much today.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_03: And so that's really what this movement is about.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_03: It's about, you know, rekindling that sense of unity in our community and telling that history and really paying it forward so that we remember um those whose lives were lost, but then also we acknowledge and show appreciation for people who every day are here to help us.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_03: You know, Mr.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_03: Rogers used to talk about go to the helpers.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_03: You know, and so it's carrying that forward.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_02: Well, if Metro, if Mr.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_02: Rogers said it, I mean, you it has to be right, you can't go wrong with that, that's for sure.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_01: That's right.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my goodness.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_02: Teresa, how about you?
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I would add to that.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um the you know, the visual that keeps coming to me for, you know, when we're thinking of the next generation, the fact that part of Heartland Honors is these, is the signs.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, uh, where you know, Gail had talked about how, you know, how fast um, you know, people were using the signs and and wanting the signs.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_01: Part of helping the next generation, um, or you know, those that you know are too young to, you know, remember or were you know just too young to what too young is okay, we create awareness.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_01: And what better way to create awareness with these signs?
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_01: I know there are people driving around the around Omaha and those that are you know in the car.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_01: Well, what are all these signs?
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_01: So what a great conversation starter and to start having that conversation and about you know what it is and why is it honors.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_01: Well, this is why.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_01: This is what people did to step up.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and this is where the helpers uh stepped up that day.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_01: It's an opportunity to tell that story and um the momentum and um making the conversation about it contagious.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_01: I knew was going to happen right away after that press conference, because right afterward, I had the mayor of La Vista come and say, Hey, where can I get those signs again?
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_01: How many, you know, can I get?
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I I know I've got a whole list of people who I know would want um to put them out right away.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_01: And sure enough, it's been it's been so rewarding to, you know, and then having people call and say, Hey, I I'm looking for signs and you know, people are you know running to low quantities because so many people want to share the story and honor it.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_01: So that's been beautiful.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_01: I had a couple that called me.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_01: He's a retired uh firefighter and um was trying to get signs.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_01: He said, Oh, I know where all the fire departments are working.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but I'm headed, you know, toward Midtown.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_01: Can you help me get some sure?
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_01: We do that.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so just helping people spread that message, that was really touching.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_01: And it um that's what sticks out for me is is the signs, you know, in addition to everything you said, Gail.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, the signs I'm thinking are helping tell that story and what it means because it's a visual opportunity to To have those conversations.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_02: It's so beautiful and refreshing, especially in election season.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_02: You don't see blank running for this or this person running for that, Democrat, Republican, like, I don't like your sign.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_02: You should have my sign, but like you can't argue about this sign.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_02: And so I that's kind of what I think about.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_02: It's neat, and it is such a conversation starter.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_02: Like, hey, mom and dad, what does that mean?
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_02: And look, I had that conversation with my parents last night.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_02: I'm 34 years old, and like it's just important to have those conversations.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_02: So, no, those are two beautiful answers.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_02: And again, the conversation is just flowing so well because the next thing I want to talk about is momentum, which you mentioned, Teresa.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so as you know, the initiative will eventually wrap up, but how do we carry that momentum specifically, you know, without using 9-11 as an example, just to be a better community and to give our time, uh, to give, you know, our charity and you know, just support to people.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_02: How can we carry that momentum forward?
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_03: I love that you mentioned the signs, Teresa.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_03: So uh we had 15,000 of them printed.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_03: And there isn't there was a time when some of us were dreaming about these signs and we were wondering, are we gonna be able to get them all out?
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_03: And the fact is, as you said, it's just exploded.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_03: And um people, it's just heartwarming to see people saying, you know, yes, I want a sign.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_03: The sign does a couple of things.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_03: Um, one, it's a very visual way that our first responders who are driving through Omaha are able to feel appreciated, whether you're active or retired.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_03: Um, it also brings it to the neighborhood level, which we thought was really important.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_03: And also because we have a QR code and we're promoting our website, it's really that way for people to log on to heartlandhonours9-11.com to learn, uh, to see how they can engage, to see how they can support from a charitable standpoint, their time, and just really see themselves in this effort.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_03: So when we think about what this means going forward, um, I think you described it beautifully, Daniel.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_03: We never want a 9-11 in our country, but we would take 9-12 any day.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_03: And I think the spirit of this campaign as we move forward, um, intentionally called it Heartland Honors 9-11 because we are the Heartland.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_03: And what do we do best in the Heartland?
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_03: We show up and we help each other and we do that every day.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that that's what really separates us from um the rest of the country in terms of what we do well.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_03: So I think that as we move forward, we want to continue to remember, to reflect, to show appreciation for our first responders and really continue to take care of each other, take care of our neighbors, have acts of kindness that we can do every day, and just really that spirit that we will never forget is so important because there's so much more that unifies us and divides us.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_03: And at a time when our society is divided, um, we could always use more of that.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_03: So this is uh this is a lesson and an idea that can be applied every day, and we want it to continue, not just only in this 25th year as we come commemorate and remember, but also just going forward.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, for sure.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_02: Teresa, do you have anything you'd like to add?
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um sure, just adding on to that.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um remembering, you know, like you said, Gail, uh putting the signs out is a way of saying thank you and um continuing that um acts of service and acts of kindness that we can do is also a way to say thank you.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um and all acts of generosity um should be celebrated and and are worth doing.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um so definitely look into ways to volunteer, whether it's uh writing a note, uh, like we said, write a note.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um there's events, you know, through the remainder of these uh days of service.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, there's still needs beyond you know these days of service.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and that's a great way to keep the momentum going and keep it contagious, is there's plenty of things to look at doing, you know, through September, October, and all throughout the year, um, just that um uh meaningful ways and the contagious ways um to help each other always.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_01: Simply helping another person becomes contagious.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_01: It just does.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_01: And so if you think about it, it's like, gosh, sometimes it's really just that simple.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_01: It's the basics.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_01: We just help each other or we ask, how can I help?
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um that's what we can do uh to keep the momentum going.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_02: Awesome.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_02: I just I love it.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_02: I'm I'm really proud to call myself a well, a uh a Heartlander, I guess.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_02: That's what I'll call myself.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, because Gail, you said it perfectly.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_02: We just show up.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_02: It doesn't matter what it's for, we will show up.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_02: So um I I just again can't thank you guys enough for taking the time to be here.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_02: And I want to give you an one last opportunity.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, you know, every website uh you want to plug and how to get involved in these last few days, please uh share those uh with my listeners.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_02: I'll post it in the episode description so they have no excuse but to but to show up.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, if you can, you know, tell my listeners right now how to how to get involved the the next couple of days as this winds up, why oh, winds down, excuse me.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so visit HarlanHonors9-11.com.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_03: Um, there are a myriad of ideas and resources there.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_03: So if you would like to volunteer, perform acts of service, if you'd like to make a charitable donation, if you want to learn more, think about how to talk with young people about 9-11.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_03: We have resources on our website, and of course, we have a schedule of events of things that are happening here in the community.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_03: And more than anything, we just ask that people think about what's personal to them and meaningful to them.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_03: And don't hesitate because no act is too small, just do it.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, well, you heard it right from the horse's mouth.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so yeah, so I'm definitely gonna take a look at that website and try to get involved as well.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so yeah, as I said, thank you so much for being here and for you know sharing this incredible event and bringing people together to remember a day that unfortunately will live in infamy.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_02: And I I still even get a little emotional thinking about it, just just just even just the picture of of those towers.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_02: And I kind of describe it though as a you know, the Phoenix rises from the ashes, and obviously they have one World Trade Center now.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, just super excited that people like you and people around our community can rally around that.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_02: So um, everyone, this has been Stream of Consciousness with Dan.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_02: Uh as we remember the weight of this anniversary, may we also hold on to the hope that comes from showing up for one another, whether that's in service, in gratitude, or in the small acts that keep a community strong.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_02: We'll see you next time on a stream of consciousness with Dan.