Philadelphia ? Red Cross chapters are operating a mental-health hot line, setting up “comfort stations” with food and tissues and making grief counselors available to help people deal with the emotions unleashed by today’s anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

The Philadelphia chapter of the American Red Cross will run a mental health hot line Tuesday through Thursday, with counselors available to help people having difficulty coping with Sept. 11.

“With our proximity to New York, we had a lot of families affected in our region, and as Sept. 11 started to get closer we could see that some people were starting to relive some of it,” Patricia Hastie-Lane, administrator of the mental health program for the Red Cross’ southeastern Pennsylvania chapter. “We anticipate that people are going to want to talk about what they’re experiencing.”

In New York City, the Red Cross is deploying more than 700 volunteers to set up “comfort stations” staffed by counselors and stocked with food, 75,000 bottles of water and other items including 50,000 packets of tissues.

“We want to give people the space they need so they’ll be comfortable, whether they want to cry or work or grieve or reflect or whatever they need to do,” said Virginia Mewborn, senior director of emergency services for the New York region Red Cross.

In Cleveland, the Red Cross planned to make mental health volunteers available to speak with those still grappling with the attacks.