When the planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001, most people streamed uptown. But Charles Cook, a 60-year-old retiree living in Harlem, pulled on work clothes and headed downtown. Ground zero was nearly 10 miles from his home on West 146th Street, and all public transportation was shut down. Mr. Cook was outraged by the attacks and wanted to help. With hundreds of other volunteers, he spent a total of three months at ground zero, sleeping on the floor of a nearby Brooks Brothers store.

Source: New York Times August 27, 2020 20:31 UTC