Utahns are encouraged to join hundreds of thousands of people across the country in service September 8-16 in honor of the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance.
In 2002, 9/11 family members and support groups established the charitable service day as a way to honor the victims, survivors, and those who rose up in service in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. In 2009, the U.S. Congress officially designated September 11th as a National Day of Service.
UServeUtah, the Utah Commission on Service and Volunteerism, has awarded 9/11 Day of Service grants to seven nonprofit organizations who will offer residents an opportunity to address community needs through volunteerism. Grants were awarded to the following organizations:
- Boys & Girls Club of Northern Utah
- Dixie Serves (Dixie State University)
- Habitat for Humanity Weber and Davis County
- Six County RSVP (Juab, Millard, Piute, Sanpete, Sevier, and Wayne Counties)
- United Way of Eastern Utah
- United Way of Utah County
- West View Media (West Salt Lake City)
Projects include environmental cleanup and restoration, book collection, disaster preparedness, home construction, and more. With a wide range of projects happening in multiple locations throughout the state, it is possible for anybody to volunteer even a few hours of their time.
UServeUtah is hosting a service project in partnership with World Trade Center Utah on September 11th. UServeUtah and World Trade Center staff will volunteer at Catholic Community Services’ St. Vincent de Paul Center, which provides essential services for the homeless. Volunteers will organize donations, serve food, make building improvements, and more.
“September 11th is a day of history, emotion, and reflection,” UServeUtah Director LaDawn Stoddard said. “It is also a National Day of Service that provides everyone an opportunity to act on the shared belief that by serving together we can make our country stronger.”
Visit [userve.utah.gov/911-day-projects]userve.utah.gov/911-day-projects to get involved in a project or visit [JustServe.org]JustServe.org to find other volunteer opportunities. Volunteers are encouraged to use #911Day and #Sept11UT when sharing photos related to September 11th service.