Volunteers across
the state serve as part of a National Day of Service
[Salt Lake City] – September
11, 2011, marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on our
country. This is the perfect opportunity
for Utahns to honor those who died and those who served during this time in our
country’s history.
Who can
forget the morning of September 11, 2001, when nineteen members of
al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airliners. Shortly after taking control, the
hijackers crashed two of the planes into the Twin
Towers of the World
Trade Center
in New York City, one into the Pentagon in Arlington, VA and a
fourth into a rural Pennsylvania
field after passengers attempted to retake control of the plane. Over 3,000
people lost their lives that day along with many more fighting to protect our
freedoms and keep us safe. Some of our Utah friends and family
lost their lives in these attacks and many Utahns volunteered their services in
the aftermath.
"I,
along with the Utah Commission on Volunteers, would like to personally invite
you to join us in honoring Utah’s heroes, our shining examples of service and
sacrifice, by participating in Utah’s 9/11 National Day of Service and
Remembrance,” said Lt. Governor Greg Bell.
“This is your opportunity to serve those that so selflessly serve us by
getting involved.”
The focus of service for the 9/11
National Day of Service is on active soldiers, military families, veterans, and
first responders in the week leading up to and culminating on September 11,
2011. There are a number of
opportunities available to people of every age.
First, check our website,
volunteers.utah.gov, and either 1) Sign
On and Sign Up online to show your support, share your story, and print a
certificate of participation, 2) Volunteer
and Serve by organizing a service project or volunteering with the
organizations that serve these groups, 3) Say
“Thank You” by writing a letter, making a visit, or doing a good deed.
The Utah Commission on Volunteers is also working with seven
volunteer connector organizations throughout the state to provide opportunities
for Utah
residents to serve on this year’s 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance. These activities will take place between September
7-11, 2011.
In Cache Valley volunteers will focus on providing direct services to
the children of military families and providing an avenue for increased
community awareness. Military children will
be invited to participate in outdoor activities and team building
exercises. This event is the beginning
of an ongoing mentoring program in Cache Valley.
Volunteers
in Washington
County are working
with the Veterans Coalition with a focus on homeless veterans and military
families. The community wants to raise
awareness about veterans’ issues and will do this through a series of projects
targeted at veterans.
Volunteers
in Weber County, working through United Way of Northern Utah, are
teaming up with local schools to read stories to children about local first
responders and military personnel.
Included in each book will be stories about Brady Howell, a young man
from Ogden who
lost his life on 9/11 at the Pentagon. Books
will be given to each of the children.
The Ogden Standard Examiner will video tape and record stories being
read by parents who are being deployed and given to their children to enjoy
while they are on deployment.
A
variety of opportunities are available with the United Way of Salt Lake and their partners. Daylilly Arts Inc will involve
children in creating art that represents military and display these in libraries
and city/county buildings. Letters to Soldiers will have volunteers
collect needed items for care packages for soldiers and write cards to
accompany them. Kostopulos Dream
Foundation will transport veterans to and from a trail ride site where they
can ride horses or a pony cart along scenic Settlement Canyon
and enjoy a barbeque afterwards. The Memorial Hill Veterans Restoration
Project in Midway, Utah
will finalize their veterans memorial and need volunteers to help with
engraving and last minute preparations.
The Salt Lake County Volunteer Services volunteers are building a
memorial to military and veterans at the county complex.
Volunteers from the Six County
areas (Sevier, Sanpete, Millard, Piute,
Wayne, and Juab counties) will make quilts for the Triple Deuce, activated
on June 1, 2011 and deployed to Iraq
in August, 2011. These light weight,
durable blankets are made with camouflage fabric and can be used as a pillow
for concealment or for shade. Organizers
will collaborate with local schools to have school children make cards to
attach to each of the blankets.
Residents in Duchesne, Daggett, and Uintah counties will work with the Uintah
Basin Association of Governments and RSVP will dedicate a day of service to
veterans in their communities. The day
will consist of a food drive in collaboration with the local elementary schools,
yard clean up and beautification for each of the American Legion Posts located
within these counties, and will culminate with a dinner at the park for
veterans and their families.
“In
commemoration of this event Utahns across the state and people throughout the
country will be serving and thanking our active soldiers, military families,
veterans, and first responders in the week leading up to and culminating on
September 11, 2011,” said Shar Lewis, Executive Director of the Utah Commission
on Volunteers. “There are so many
activities taking place throughout the state, and so many opportunities, that
everyone can participate on some level.”
To learn more about participating in a variety of projects
and events in commemoration of 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance, please
visit volunteers.utah.gov. For interview
and photo opportunities, please contact:
- Sherilee
Griffiths, Cache
Valley Volunteer
Center, 435-770-0748
or 435-753-1745
- Carol Hollowell, Volunteer
Center of Washington County,
435-674-5757
- Leslie Herold, United Way of Northern Utah, 801-399-5584, Ext. 111
- Amy Bosworth, United Way of Salt Lake, 801-746-2576
- Shara
Bastian, Six
County areas
(Sevier, Sanpete, Millard, Piute, Wayne, and Juab counties), 435-893-0735
- Sandy
Whalen, Uintah
Basin Association of
Governments and RSVP, 435-722-4518
The mission
of the Utah
Commission on Volunteers, an office of the Lieutenant Governor, is to improve
communities through service and volunteering. It furthers its mission by
administering federal funds for AmeriCorps and National Service programs and
increasing volunteerism by promoting community collaboration, volunteer
recognition, youth and older adult service and providing training and resources
for those working with volunteers. For more information or to find volunteering
opportunities around the state visit www.volunteers.utah.gov.
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