Our Work
For more information, or to participate in any of the below programs, visit the How to Get Help page.
The 9/11 Community Health Initiative
A groundbreaking collaborative program between BGZ and Bellevue Hospital that provides free screening, treatment and monitoring to Lower Manhattan residents and local workers with 9/11-related health problems. Recently funded by the NYC Dept. of Health and renamed the WTC Environmental Health Center, it is the only 9/11 health program open to area residents and workers.
The 9/11 Injured Workers Project
A program for the large number of Ground Zero and Lower Manhattan cleanup workers who are sick and/or injured because of their work and trying to pursue claims with the New York State Workers’ Compensation system.
Outreach to Affected Communities
BGZ’s member organizations continually conduct outreach to residents and workers who were affected by 9/11, to ensure that communities are aware of the resources and programs available to them.
Research and Documentation
Since late 2001, BGZ has been surveying communities to document the impact of 9/11 on low-income, largely immigrant neighborhoods in Lower Manhattan, especially Chinatown and the Lower East Side. This data was used in BGZ’s report Ripple Effect: The Crisis in NYC's Low-Income Communities after September 11th, and will be used in forthcoming reports on the health impacts of 9/11 and 9/11-related Workers’ Compensation issues.
Advocacy
BGZ continually advocates with elected officials at all levels of government to educate them about the 9/11 health crisis and demand federal, state and local funding for a treatment program that covers everyone affected, with an emphasis on low-income communities and the uninsured. BGZ has also launched a comprehensive Workers’ Compensation campaign to demand that state lawmakers reform the Workers’ Compensation system response to 9/11-related cases, and to help low-income, immigrant workers file and appeal 9/11-related claims. It is BGZ’s position that the government, especially the federal government, must take responsibility for the long-term impact of the September 11th disaster on Lower Manhattan’s workers and residents.