Opportunities for Volunteers and Service Agencies to Participate
Clarksville, TN – September 11th, 2011 is the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that forever changed the United States and its people. It’s designated as the National Day of Service and Remembrance.
To bring Americans together in the same spirit of compassion, unity and service as so many had after 9/11, Hands On Clarksville is coordinating Serve to Remember, an event that offers a variety of volunteer activities between September 1st and 11th.
Hands On Clarksville’s program is part of the special “10th Anniversary Challenge,” which was issued to organizations by the Corporation for National & Community Services (CNCS) – a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service each year.
To participate in this Challenge, Hands On Clarksville submitted an application to CNCS and set a goal of connecting a minimum of 600 volunteers with service activities through Serve to Remember. If Hands On Clarksville meets this goal, the agency is eligible to compete for a $25,000 national grant that will support future 9/11 events in the Clarksville area.
[1]Rita Arancibia
“Our goal is to engage a minimum of 600 volunteers in various service activities and to create a positive legacy that honors 9/11 victims, heroes and those who rose in service in response to the attacks that changed our country,” said Hands On Clarksville Program Manager Rita Arancibia. “In a military community like ours, this commemoration is particularly significant because so many are actively working to maintain peace in the Middle East. This large-scale volunteer mobilization honors their efforts – both here and abroad – by bringing people together and making a difference in our neighborhoods.”
For Volunteers:
Hands On Clarksville is listing 9/11 service projects open to volunteers on its website www.handsonclarksville.org [2]. These projects are planned and implemented by a variety of local organizations. New volunteer activities will continually be added, and prospective volunteers are encouraged to visit the Hands On Clarksville website to register for all service.
- Clarksville Montgomery County Ajax Turner Senior Center is seeking volunteers to complete diverse projects, ranging from tree planting and carpentry to clerical and administrative support. Projects are offered daily between 9:00am and 5:00pm from September 5th to 10th.
- Clarksville Fire & Rescue is requesting volunteers to assist with their annual 9/11 Memorial Open House and Remembrance event. Duties include event set up, tear down, display staffing, etc. Several shifts are available for this September 11th event between 9:00am and 11:45pm.
- Altrusa International, Inc., of Clarksville, TN will hold a baby product drive September 1st-9th. All collected diapers, wipes and baby food will be donated to Urban Ministries Grace Assistance Food Pantry. Volunteers are asked to drop off their purchases at Dunn Insurance located at 409 Madison Street, Clarksville.
- Loaves and Fishes Soup kitchen seeks 10-15 volunteers to help with heavy cleaning of the facility on September 10th, 2011.
- Queen City Lion’s Club Head will help Head Start children from New Providence and Lafayette schools create a quilt-style American flag. The quilt squares will be made from actual army combat uniforms. Some of the quilt squares will be dedicated to Head Start families who have served or are serving in the military. Red squares will be added to the flag quilt in remembrance of all those family members lost during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Volunteers with sewing and quilting skills are encouraged to help.
- Rossview High School Football teams will be volunteering at Ajax Turner Senior Center on September 10 and they’ll complete a variety of other service projects throughout the community.
- Volunteers are needed to help at The Salvation Army Thrift Store located at 210 Kraft Street with sorting and organizing donated clothing. Volunteers are also encouraged to donate and drop off clothing and housewares during the Serve to Remember: Days of Service.
For Organizations or Groups Planning Tribute Projects:
Hands On Clarksville encourages other nonprofits, businesses, government agencies, as well as civic, membership and faith groups to coordinate existing programs with Serve to Remember or to plan new tribute projects between September 1st and 11th, 2011. This helps Hands On Clarksville meet the goal of 600 volunteers. All projects can be added to the Hands On Clarksville website by contacting Rita Arancibia at 931.551.5450 or email: rita@hon.org [3]. A 9/11 toolkit to help organizations and businesses plan projects is available at www.serve.gov/toolkits.asp [4].
About Hands On Clarksville
Hands On Clarksville is a program of Hands On Nashville that enables nonprofit organizations, government agencies and others to post their service needs and seek volunteers in Clarksville-Montgomery County. To learn more, visit www.handsonclarksville.org [2].
About Hands On Nashville
Celebrating its 20th year as Middle Tennessee’s volunteer resource center, Hands On Nashville connects volunteers to critical community needs. In 2010, HON connected nearly 200,000 volunteers to service, making it the largest mobilizer of volunteers among all HandsOn Network affiliates worldwide. Facilitating volunteer work for 400-plus Middle Tennessee nonprofits, schools and government agencies, HON supports 25 critical community needs ranging from hunger and homelessness to at-risk youth and animal welfare. HON challenges everyone to find a way to give back and to … Be the Change. Volunteer. To find out how, check out www.hon.org [5] or call 615.298.1108.