FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sep 11, 2014

 

Thousands of Americans unite to improve communities across the country

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) today announced that tens of thousands of Americans are volunteering on the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance to commemorate the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

 

Volunteers are expected to join their neighbors in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to build affordable housing for veterans and military families, educate citizens on disaster preparedness, organize food drives, and more. Service events and ceremonies are taking place across the country to pay tribute to and honor the victims and heroes of the events on September 11, 2001.

Since that day, tens of millions of Americans have engaged in service as a productive and respectful way to remember the tragedy. In 2009, the Kennedy Serve America Act designated September 11th as a national day of service. The Corporation for National and Community Service leads the annual event, working with MyGoodDeed and hundreds of nonprofit groups, faith-based organizations, and schools and businesses nationwide.

"As we remember all those we lost on that day and the Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice in the wars that followed, we must strive to carry forward their legacy," the President said in a proclamation yesterday. "On this National Day of Service and Remembrance, we take up their unfinished work and pay tribute to their lives with service and charity. Through these acts and quiet gestures, we can honor their memory and reclaim our sense of togetherness."

"The events on 9/11 were truly devastating, but they also brought the country together in the spirit of service," said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. "I'm proud to volunteer alongside so many Americans today as we honor the day's victims and heroes by helping families and transforming communities across the country."

In many locations, AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members will lead and participate in service projects.  On the day after 9/11, AmeriCorps will mark its 20th anniversary in a nationwide ceremony to swear in the incoming class of AmeriCorps members.

CEO Wendy Spencer will join several members of the Cabinet and agency leaders to serve at projects around Washington, D.C.:

  • Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew will serve at Bread for the City to sort and pack donated food, such as produce and bread, into family-sized servings.
  • Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah will help prepare hundreds of hot meals for daily distribution at Martha's Table.
  • Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will join the Student Conservation Association at Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary on the George Washington Memorial Parkway for a project including shoreline cleanup, invasive plan removal, and native wetland species planting along the shoreline.
  • Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet and Millenium Challenge Corporation CEO Dana Hyde will visit Food and Friends to prepare ingredients and pack groceries to support the distribution of thousands of meals.
  • Staff from the Department of Veterans Affairs will serve at George Washington University to assemble first responder care kits in remembrance of the first responders of September 11, 2001.

Below is a sample of service projects taking place across the country:

Los Angeles, CA: L.A. Works and the Los Angeles Fire Department will host volunteers at the Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center to clean, landscape, plant, and beautify the memorial site and surrounding grounds. The site will also host a commemorative event for police, fire, and military personnel.

San Francisco, CA: Habitat for Humanity will host military service members, first responders, and veterans to create affordable homeownership opportunities by building new homes for local hardworking families.

Miami, FL: HandsOn Broward will host volunteers at Keystone Halls, a local residential facility that houses and assists homeless veterans who are in recovery from issues related to substance abuse.  Volunteers will revitalize the center with painting, landscaping, and garden creation, and will honor and recognize local first responders and firefighters at the event.

Boston, MA: Boston Cares is teaming up with the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund to put together care packages for military from Massachusetts serving overseas. Volunteers will help manage all aspects of the drive from receiving donations, sealing packages, and staffing registration.

Minneapolis, MN: The Arc Greater Twin Cities will bring together volunteers who will unpack, sort, and tag donations for Arc's Value Village, supporting programs and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. 

New York, NY: New Yorkers Volunteer is partnering with MyGoodDeed, NewYork Cares, and the Corporation for National and Community Service to revitalize the Lower East Side public school P.S. 140 M.  Volunteers will prepare the building for the new school year, creating a friendly and positive learning environment both inside and out. Volunteers will also create care packages and write cards to send to military service members overseas, expressing gratitude for the enormous service they provide. 

Austin, TX: Habitat for Humanity of Comal County will be working alongside the family in need to build a new house from the ground up, helping to create a foundation for the future.

Seattle/Tacoma, WA: Volunteers from Outerwall and Delta Airlines will join partner families and AmeriCorps members to build and repair affordable homes in King County.

To find volunteer opportunities on 9/11 and throughout the year, visit Serve.gov.

AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country's most pressing challenges through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.