As we come upon the 8th anniverary of what many of us feel was the worst day in our lives, we should not forget the tragedy of the lives taken that day and the resiliency displayed Sept. 11 and the days after by those in New York, DC, and the rest of the country.

I resolved to always take a personal day away from work on 9/11.  It was not only because I am a native NYer, a member of a community on Long Island that lost more than 25 of its friends and relatives, or an alum of three schools that all had members of its alumni community killed that day. Rather, as a human being, I was hurt and and angered by the incredible act of terror and hatred that took place.  What had we as the human race become? The one day since 2001 I worked was a mistake. I could not concentrate and more pointedly, felt I was not doing my part to recognize all those lost, their family and friends, and those amazing individuals from all walks of like who lent a hand to help others.

So I am taking seriously the opportunity to do more on 9/11 and every day to counter the type of hatred, ignorance, and desperation that precipitated those attacks and the daily examples of the loss of civility and empathy amongst so many. With that in mind, I wanted to highlight resources that list initiatives going on that give us the opportunity to work together, to give back, at least one day, and hopefully on an ongoing basis. It is amazing to see so many individuals, organizations, companies, and the government further define what President Obama referenced last night, i.e. the character of our country.

9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance – http://911dayofservice.org/
“Our mission is to honor the victims of 9/11 and those who rose to service in response to the attacks by encouraging all Americans and others throughout the world to pledge to voluntarily perform at least one good deed, or another service activity on 9/11 each year. In this way we hope to create a lasting and forward-looking legacy — annually rekindling the spirit of service, tolerance, and compassion that unified America and the world in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.”

Serve.org – www.serve.org
“More than 250,000 volunteer opportunities and 2,200 service stories have been posted on Serve.gov, the website created by the Corporation for National and Community Service to support United We Serve, which also lists volunteer opportunities and do-it-yourself project ideas for September 11.

“September 11 is both a time to remember the victims and heroes of 9/11 and to honor their memory through service to others,” said Nicola Goren, Acting CEO of the Corporation. “The President has called on all Americans to make service a part of their daily lives, and we hope September 11 will be a catalyst for service on the day and throughout the year.'”