President Calls on Americans to Serve on September 11th
Washington D.C. – President Obama today urged Americans to come together in acts of service and remembrance to honor the victims and heroes of September 11th on the upcoming tenth anniversary of the terror attacks.
In today's weekly address, the President encouraged Americans to visit Serve.gov to find local volunteer opportunities for the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance.
“There are so many ways to get involved, and every American can do something. To learn more about the opportunities where you live, just go online and visit Serve.gov,” said the President. “Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost; a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.”
The President recalled how the terror attacks a decade ago brought out the best in the American people and urged Americans to reclaim that sense of unity and generosity by serving on September 11.
“As we saw after 9/11, the strength of America has always been the character and compassion of our people. So as we mark this solemn anniversary, let's summon that spirit once more. And let's show that the sense of common purpose that we need in America doesn't have to be a fleeting moment; it can be a lasting virtue—not just on one day, but every day.”
The President announced that he and First Lady Michelle Obama will join the commemorations at Ground Zero, in Shanksville, and at the Pentagon, and will participate in a local service project, as he has the past two years.
The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance is the culmination of an effort originally launched in 2002 by 9/11 family members and support groups, led by the 9/11 nonprofit organization MyGoodDeed, which worked to establish the charitable service day as a forward-looking way to honor the 9/11 victims, survivors and others, and to rekindle the spirit of unity and compassion that followed the attacks.
The bipartisan 2009 Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act designated September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with supporting this effort across the country.
For the tenth anniversary, MyGoodDeed, HandsOn Network, the Corporation for National and Community Service, and other organizations across the country are working to organize the single largest day of charitable service in U.S. history, in tribute to the 9/11 victims and survivors and all those that rose in service in response to the attacks.
The Serve.gov website features a searchable database of volunteer opportunities for the September 11 weekend and throughout the year, as well as toolkits and other resources for individuals and organizations to plan service projects.
Audio, video, and a transcript text of the President's weekly address is available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/.
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