9/11 is a National Day of Service and Remembrance
Two decades ago, on September 11, 2001, many lost their lives during the 9/11 attacks. To honor the spirit of sacrifice made that day and the sacrifices that continue to be made by members of the armed forces and their families, we honor those heroes by uniting in service and volunteerism throughout our communities.
This year, the nation marks the 20th anniversary of 9/11.
So, AmeriCorps is asking you to step forward to serve in a remarkable spirit of honor and compassion. Unite in service and give back to your community.
Not sure where to start? Here are a few ideas:
Do one good deed. Volunteer with a community service project or create your own.
On 9/11 Day, you can pledge to do one good deed. You can donate blood, join your neighbors for a meeting to assess your community's disaster preparedness and take steps to support improvements, or donate school supplies. You also can volunteer with your favorite nonprofit or find a service project that reflects what matters most to you.
You also can create your own community service project. Here are a few self-starter project ideas:
- Sign up to serve or deliver meals to those at risk of hunger.
- Work with a local food bank or pantry to collect or deliver donations.
- Sign up to be a mentor or tutor (This can be done virtually).
- Beautify a local park – fall is a good time to plant trees and spring blooming bulbs.
- Arrange a virtual visit to a senior citizen center or send cards to residents/clients of a senior center.
- Check with your local fire station and see if you can organize a fall clean up or serve them a meal.
- Arrange a visit to a veterans’ center. You also can check with the center to see if they need personal care items and launch a collection drive.
Check out more self-starter project ideas. If you have a service project you would like to share, please email: SocialMedia@cns.gov.
Add a moment of silence to your service project.
You can add a moment of silence to your project to honor 9/11 victims and their families. A national moment of silence is observed every year to correspond with the attacks at 8:46 a.m. ET, which is the time American Airlines Flight 11 hit the north tower of the World Trade Center. On this annual day of remembrance, a brief moment of silence supports are commitment that we will never forget.
Honor. Serve. Unite.
Did you know that 9/11 Day of National Service & Remembrance is one of two days each year set aside to volunteer? MLK Day and 9/11 Day are federally designated as Days of Service to inspire Americans to volunteer in their neighborhoods—and AmeriCorps is responsible for promoting these opportunities to the American public.
9/11 Day was the vision of the families who lost loved ones on 9/11. Today we honor those who ran into the destruction to serve others and their family members, those who showed up to help rebuild communities and unite the country’s spirit, and those who continue to serve to protect our country, our communities, and our people.
Share your story. Spread the word and inspire more to serve.
Tell us where you were on September 11, 2001, and where you will be serving this year. AmeriCorps and 9/11 Day invite you to share your AmeriCorps volunteer or service story in the aftermath of 9/11. Or, 9/11 may have been the spark that ignited your passion to serve. We would be honored to share your story. Reach out to our team to learn more.
Before, during, and after your day of service in remembrance of September 11, spread the word by sharing your service project on social media.
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Start by sharing this blog post to help others make their 9/11 Day of Service plan.
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Then, use social media to tell people the service project you’ll be participating in on September 11.
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While you’re out there doing good on 9/11 Day, take and share photos and videos.
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Whenever you share, be sure to use the hashtag #911Day.
On its worst day, America showed its best. We showed up in 2001 and 20 years later, we continue to serve. So this year, on 9/11 Day, how will you show up?
