This past September marked the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. To honor all who were lost, The Arc joined forces with local chapters of The Arc and other community organizations to develop inclusive volunteer projects centered around the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance (9/11 Day).

These projects aimed to strengthen and prepare communities for all types of emergencies. Their goal was also to challenge the perception that individuals with disabilities are only service recipients by demonstrating that volunteers with and without disabilities can and do serve their communities side-by-side.

The Arc’s 2021 9/11 Day grantees spent much of the past year preparing for their keynote September 11 weekend events. This year’s grantees included Egyptian Area Agency on Aging, Ridge Area Arc, The Arc of Hanover, The Arc Central Chesapeake Region, Athletes for Hope, Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way, The Arc of Palm Beach County, The Arc Nature Coast, and The Arc Tennessee.

These dedicated organizations served their communities in a variety of ways, including:

• Hosting community-wide artistic events, which provided a space for community members to create collaborative art that honors those lost on 9/11 and promotes collective strength, resiliency, and remembrance
• Designing handmade cards of appreciation for local first responders
• Assembling and distributing emergency kits to local families
• Distributing emergency preparedness information and templates to community members
• Installing fire alarms for homeowners living in high-risk neighborhoods

Together, our grantees recruited over 1,000 volunteers, who spent close to 5,000 hours leading a variety of emergency planning activities that benefited over 4,100 individuals.

We would love for your organization to join us next year by building an emergency preparedness volunteer program in your community. We are currently accepting grant applications for the 2022 September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance – and the deadline to apply is November 4. Learn more and apply here!