Points of Light to Commemorate 15th Anniversary of 9/11 Through Community-based Projects on National Day of Service and Remembrance

Commemorating the 15^th anniversary of 9/11 and as part of the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, Points of Light – the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service – will launch a series of community-based service projects and a storytelling project curating profiles and stories of 9/11 responders and service members. Projects include a mobilization of 15,000 volunteers nationwide to participate in service events involving and honoring members of the military and veterans, a service project at the Washington Monument in the nation’s capital, and packing a half million meals for those in need in New York City.

In 30 communities across the country, volunteers – members of the military, veterans, first responders and their families serving alongside community members and corporate employees – will engage in projects with Points of Light’s Military Initiatives team, coming together to participate in service events designed to honor first responders, veterans and service members

Those who are not part of these events can still participate in the Day of Service:

• Find 9/11 service opportunities in your communities at www.pointsoflight.org/911day.
• Post stories and photos of 9/11 responders and service members, or show how you’re serving using #911Day and #HonoringService. These stories will post to a gallery on the Points of Light 911 Day web page.

In Washington, D.C., on Sept. 10, volunteers of all ages will gather on the National Mall for a Volunteer Service Fair, where they will participate in eight mini-service projects, each sponsored by a nonprofit and benefiting members of the military and veterans. During the event, Points of Light will honor Jose Martinez with a Daily Point of Light award for his work with The Mission Continues. Martinez leads a team of service-minded veterans who have dedicated more than 900 hours to volunteering in their community. The Service Fair is hosted in partnership with Points of Light affiliate Volunteer Fairfax and is sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

In New York, more than 80 new AmeriCorps VISTAs with ServiceWorks – a joint youth development program from AmeriCorps, the Citi Foundation and Points of Light – will participate in three events tied to 9/11 Day.

• On Sept. 9, Points of Light CEO Tracy Hoover and third-year ServiceWorks Los Angeles VISTA Alonzo Warren, will join Corporation for National and Community Service CEO Wendy Spencer and other champions of service to ring the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange.
• On Sept. 10, the VISTAs will participate in the Opportunity Nation Summit, where they will officially be sworn in by Gen. (Ret.) Stanley McChrystal.
• Culminating the weekend on Sunday, Sept. 11, the AmeriCorps VISTA members’ first official act of duty will be at New York’s Pier 36 with 9/11 Day organizers and MyGoodDeed. Representing the 14 ServiceWorks host cities around the country, they’ll lead thousands of New York volunteers as part of an effort across the city to pack more than 500,000 meals for those in need.

In Philadelphia, Points of Light affiliate Jersey Cares is partnering with the Starbuck’s “Let’s Serve Together” initiative to engage community volunteers in a variety of revitalization projects at the West Philadelphia Community Center, which has for 75 years provided programs and services to all members of the community and empowered Philadelphia’s youth to become positive citizens and community leaders.

With a quarter of the U.S. population under the age of 18, many of today’s youth weren’t alive when the events around 9/11 occurred. generationOn and Points of Light are teaming up to help youth learn, act, and reflect on 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, with tools and resources from GenerationOn to help talk about the events of 9/11 and plan a project.

The Global Unity Games – a virtual campaign run by the Compassion Games designed to bring about unity in communities worldwide through compassion and service – kicks off on Sept. 10 in Washington, D.C., as Points of Light passes a virtual torch to MyGoodDeed and 9/11 Day organizers in New York City, and continues through Sept. 21, the International Day of Peace. Join in by using #CompassionUnites.

About Points of Light

Points of Light – the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service – inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that is changing the world. Through affiliates in 250 cities across more than 30 countries and partnerships with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 4 million volunteers in 30 million hours of service each year. For more information, go to www.pointsoflight.org.

About Booz Allen Hamilton

Booz Allen Hamilton has been at the forefront of strategy, technology, and engineering for more than 100 years. Booz Allen partners with public and private sector clients across the globe to solve their most difficult challenges. To learn more, visit www.boozallen.com. (NYSE: BAH)

About the Corporation for National and Community Service

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service each year through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and other programs; improves communities through the Social Innovation Fund; and leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov.