(upbeat music) - Hi everyone.

Steve Adubato.

We kick off the program talking about something that is incredibly important, important every year, but this year more important than ever.

25th anniversary of 9/11.

And one of the folks who's committed to helping family members, those who are surviving, those who are lost.

Jillian Crane, President and Chief Executive Officer of the First Responders Children's Foundation.

An honor to have you with us, Jillian.

- It's an honor to be here, Steve.

Thank you so much.

- You know, first, the website's up.

Tell folks what the foundation is and the children that you and your colleagues have been helping for a long time.

- The First Responders Children's Foundation is the only nonprofit that is focused solely on the children of first responders.

It started after 9/11 in a response to the 800 children who lost a first responder parent that day.

And it has grown now to be in 48 states, where our programs are available in every state.

And we support the children of law enforcement, firefighters, that includes volunteer firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, and 911 dispatcher families.

- So it goes beyond 9/11 family members?

- Yes.

Obviously you know this, but, you know, more than double first responders have died since 9/11 who died on 9/11 from 9/11 related illness.

So we still continue to help those families.

But yes, we were started in the aftermath, and now 25 years later, we just had our 25th anniversary gala on Saturday.

We are in all the states with our programs because we believe first responders are running into danger for us everywhere and their children should be supported, and that's what we do every single day.

- You know, as the website's up right now, Jillian, help folks understand if they wanted to be helpful, what could they do?

- We would love for them to go to our website.

Just come and send us a note, get involved, make a donation, big or small.

Everything helps all of our programs.

And, you know, we have events around the country.

We have a lot of community engagement programs.

It's part of our mission.

So please get involved with us.

We will promise to make you feel very welcome into the First Responders Children's Foundation family.

- Why the children?

- Because if you ask a first responder what the number one most important thing is to them, they're going to say their family.

If something were to happen to them, they want to know their family's taken care of.

And some of them in smaller cities and towns in the country don't make a great, you know, amount of money, right?

So knowing that we have programs for their children, active duty police officers, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, 911 dispatchers, knowing that you are helping their families helps them do their job better, helps them feel supported and cared about.

- Let's be even more specific.

I don't think, you know, the first instinct that many of us would have is, oh, financial help to support them go to college if they choose to.

I got it.

But what about mental health services?

- Steve, it's such a great question.

And I'll just go back on the scholarships.

It's for trade school or graduate school and it's up to four years.

- Whatever it is.

- You know how expensive it is.

We all get that.

But here's what's important about mental health.

Think about since 2020, of course, all of the issues with children in general, right, with the COVID-19 and all the anxiety kids are dealing with.

The anxiety and the mental health of children of first responders and veterans, it's different.

It's much greater.

There's a transfer of PTSD.

The culture is different.

So we looked at this in 2021 and said, kind of listened to the community and said, "What do you need?"

And we saw that their children were really struggling.

So we've now provided almost 5,000 hours of short-term counseling with culturally competent therapists.

Our program is free.

It's confidential.

You don't have to have insurance.

And they get a phone call within 72 hours with someone who can help their child either in person or virtually.

And we see that that's the largest growing program that we have.

- How'd you get involved?

- It's a great question.

My background is in the entertainment business, but I was here on 9/11 just by chance.

I had come back from Los Angeles to work on a project.

- Here, you meaning in New York City?

- New York City.

I was living in Los Angeles, and I flew back to New York on the 9th of September 2001 to work at New Dramatists in New York City to do an internship.

And I was living, staying in a loft on West Broadway between Duane and Reade, which is fairly close.

- That's way downtown.

- Yeah.

It was just some blocks.

- That's close.

- Yeah.

And I woke up that morning, and I'd really never thought about first responders.

I don't know about you, Steve.

I'm sure you remember where you were, but like I had never had any experience meeting a first responder.

I didn't really understand what they, you know, I understood the police come when call them.

I just didn't have any real to life experience with them.

And of course that morning I was evacuated, but more importantly, I looked out the window and I saw all of these people screaming and running away from the World Trade Center and downtown.

And people running, like officers and firefighters on foot running towards it and vehicles going toward it.

And then I was here in New York in the aftermath of that and saw what happened.

So 12, maybe 13 years later, when I heard about this organization and was asked if I'd like to join the board, it was just etched in my mind.

These are people who risk their lives for us.

I have to join.

And I was part of the board, and it was a very small board in New York.

And I thought, "Where are the women?

Why aren't we honoring more women?

Let's diversify."

It was called the National Law Enforcement and Firefighters Children's Foundation, Steve.

And I thought, "We need a name that's maybe a little more easy to say with children in it."

So I kind of spearheaded a name change, brought in some more board members, and I thought they were going to kick me off.

I was like, "That's it.

They've had enough of me."

And instead they made me president of the board.

- That's what you get for leading the First Responders Children's Foundation.

25th anniversary of 9/11.

This organization goes well beyond helping the children of first responders on 9/11.

So many others that Jillian talked about.

Go on the website.

We'll put it up one more time.

Find out more.

Ask yourself beyond thanking people for their service and family members who have lost loved ones for the service of their loved ones, ask yourself in these, yes, very challenging times, economically and otherwise, what you can do, what I can do, what we can do to make a difference.

This is part of our "Making a Difference" series.

Jillian, thank you.

And I promise you we'll continue the conversation with you in the future.

All the best.

- Thank you so much and please stay safe.

- Same to you.

I'm Steve Adubato.

That's Jillian Crane.

We'll be right back.

- [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by EJI, Excellence in Medicine Awards.

A New Jersey health foundation program.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

The Turrell Fund, a foundation serving children.

Rutgers University Newark.

The Burke Foundation Newark Board of Education.

PSEG Foundation.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

And by The Fidelco Group.

Promotional support provided by NJ.Com.

And by BestofNJ.com.

- At the Turrell Fund, we know that all New Jersey families deserve access to affordable, high quality childcare.

Early childhood education supports healthy brain development and provides essential support to power the economy, enabling parents to work, businesses to operate, and communities to thrive.

The Turrell Fund is proud to be part of Start Strong NJ, a statewide initiative to put affordable, high quality childcare within reach of all New Jersey families.

Learn more at TurrellFund.org and StartStrongNJ.org.