Remembeing 9-11 Through Service

As the 12th anniversary of September 11th draws closer, many people are wondering what they can do to commemorate the tragic events of that day.

 

The 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance is a coast-to-coast initiative that seeks to observe September 11th as a national day of service, charity and compassion. The 9/11 Day of Service encourages individuals, businesses, schools and other groups to perform acts of service to the community to honor the victims, family members, and survivors of the September 11th attacks on America, as well as the rescue and recovery workers and the thousands of volunteers who gave so much on and following that fateful day.  The goal is to use this day to commit to doing something good for someone else.

 

The Volunteer Center of Bergen County can help match individuals with opportunities to volunteer; we provide a multitude of choices at hundreds of community agencies.  A comprehensive data base of hundreds of volunteer jobs in and around Bergen County can be found at the Center’s website.

 

Volunteer Center of Bergen County can be of assistance to those who wish to organize their own projects.   Here are ideas of other simple ways to help:

 

• Give blood
• Donate children’s books to a Head Start center or library
• Begin collecting money or toys for holiday giving programs
• Pick up litter in a park or along a sidewalk or roadway
• Pull weeds in a park or along a sidewalk
• Paint over graffiti (ask the building owner first!)
• Offer to run errands for someone who is frail or who is not feeling well
• Write letters of support to our men and women in the military
• Donate pet food to a pet shelter
• Become a mentor to a child, teen or adult through the Volunteer Center’s Mentoring Programs
• Make tray favors to be distributed to those who receive meals on wheels
• Offer to sweep a sidewalk or do some gardening for someone who is infirm
• Donate socks, underwear, and other new items of clothing to a shelter

 

“We encourage residents of all ages and abilities to mark this day of remembrance with acts of service, helping the less fortunate or a cause in which they are interested,” says Janet Sharma, Executive Director of the Volunteer Center.   “Monetary donations to worthy causes are also needed.  It’s all about recreating the spirit of unity and compassion that arose from the 9/11 tragedy. ”

 

For more information about the above activities, contact the Volunteer Center of Bergen County at (201) 489-9454.   The Volunteer Center publishes a Guide to Volunteering, which lists more than 100 nonprofit agencies and 400 volunteer positions for people of all ages.  Copies may downloaded free of charge at www.bergenvolunteers.org  or a hard copy can be ordered online with a $5.00 shipping and handling charge.