FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sep 10, 2015


Senior Administration officials, thousands of Americans will honor victims, heroes of 9/11

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Senior Administration officials will join thousands of Americans to commemorate the 9/11 anniversary through volunteer service as part of the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance. The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) leads this nationwide effort that pays tribute to and honors the victims and heroes of that day.

This year, thousands of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds are expected to join their neighbors in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to build affordable housing for veterans and military families, prepare care packages for military service members, revitalize schools, educate citizens on disaster preparedness, organize food drives, and more.  

“In the aftermath of September 11th, we came together as a country to show that we are there for each other,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, who will join volunteers and national service participants at service projects across the D.C. region. “Service can be a healing experience, and I am honored that so many Americans are dedicating a day to give back. Through volunteering, we can make a difference in the lives of families and transform communities on the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance and every day.”

Cabinet secretaries and senior Administration officials will participate in service projects and memorial events across the country, many of which will be led by AmeriCorps members.

  • Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will join Public Allies AmeriCorps members at Quinn Chapel, the oldest surviving African American church in Chicago, Illinois, to clean up the streets around the chapel and plant nine flower baskets to honor the nine victims of the recent shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist (AME) Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
     
  • Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will participate in memorial commemoration events hosted by the National Park Service and 9/11 families in Shanksville, Penn. on Thursday and Friday.
     
  • Carla Koppell, chief strategy officer for USAID, will serve at Martha’s Table in Washington, D.C., to help prepare meals for McKenna's Wagon.
     
  • Doug Kramer, deputy administrator of the Small Business Administration, and Carrie Hessler-Radelet, director of the Peace Corps, will join thousands of volunteers, including AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers, on the National Mall to pack meals for struggling seniors, including veterans and first responders, at an event hosted by A Celebration of Service and the AARP Foundation.
     
  • Marie Therese Dominguez, administrator for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration at the Department of Transportation, and director of AmeriCorps Bill Basl will join City Year AmeriCorps members and sixth graders from Leckie Elementary School to volunteer at the Capital Area Food Bank.
     
  • Director of AmeriCorps VISTA Paul Monteiro will serve alongside AmeriCorps members and volunteers at Food & Friends to prepare food and pack meals and groceries that will be delivered to those in need the following day.
     
  • Elizabeth Littlefield, president of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), and Dana J. Hyde, CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, will join AmeriCorps program leaders and members and community volunteers at A Wider Circle to organize clothes, furniture, and toy donations and will help clients in the career center.

CNCS partners with MyGoodDeed, the nonprofit that began the 9/11 Day observance more than 10 years ago, and hundreds of other nonprofit groups, faith-based organizations, schools, and businesses nationwide. Other key partners for 2015 include the Massachusetts YouthBuild Coalition, Points of Light, Service for Peace, and Youth Service America.

These organizations will lead volunteer crews across the country who will assemble care packages for military members in Boston; create disaster recovery kits for response efforts in Houston; revitalize schools and parks in Pittsburgh and Durham, N.C., prepare and package food in New York City and Los Angeles; and train volunteers on disaster planning and implementation in Sledge, Miss.

The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance is the culmination of efforts started by 9/11 family members and support groups to establish the service day as a way to honor victims and heroes of 9/11. CNCS, the federal agency for volunteering and service, was charged to lead the September 11th Day of Service and Remembrance through the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which passed with strong bipartisan support and was signed into law by President Obama in 2009.

To find volunteer opportunities on September 11th 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.