Community What Will You Be Doing On Sept. 11? Marking The Nation’s Tragedy By Helping Others Is An Idea That’s Gaining Steam.here’s How To Get Ideas
By MARK E. JONES [email protected]
Sunday, September 05, 2004 Page: 1A
Do something good in your neighborhood this Saturday, suggest the
proponents of a campaign to make Sept. 11 a national day of service.
Donate canned food.Do you want to participate in One Day’s Pay, the
national campaign to commemorate Sept. 11 by helping others?
If so, you can get ideas by going to the campaign’s Web site, at
www.onedayspay.org, or by following the Times Leader’s five-part series this
week.
Each article will spotlight an area group or nonprofit organization that
could benefit from contributions of everyday items: pens and paper, a file
cabinet, a microwave. Readers who possess those items, or want to purchase
them, will be asked to contact the group directly, learn the specifics and
then deliver their donations on or before Saturday, Sept. 11.
The series begins Monday.
In the meantime, computer users can go to these Web sites for more
information on volunteerism and community service.
Points of Light Foundation, www.pointsoflight.org
Youth Service America, www.ysa.org
Citizen Corps, www.citizencorps.gov
Or help an elderly neighbor with chores. Or write a check to the United
Way, a volunteer fire department, or any of the dozens of deserving groups
dedicated to helping people in Luzerne and Wyoming counties.
It’s a simple idea, and one that’s been gathering gusto each year since
four hijacked airplanes seared the late summer date – 9-11 – into America’s
collective consciousness.
“On that awful day nearly three years ago, New Yorkers and Americans
everywhere came together like never before,” said U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer,
D-N.Y., during a July press conference in New York City to rally support for
the campaign, called One Day’s Pay. “On September 11th this year and every
year, we should take one day to help out our neighbors and those less
fortunate.”
The Times Leader will foster that philanthropic notion all week in a
special series, encouraging readers to seek out area nonprofit groups that
would benefit from volunteers or contributions of everyday items. The series
spotlights five organizations that serve different missions and are dispersed
geographically across the Wyoming Valley. (Please remember: It’s a mere
sampling of the many places where people can get involved.)
Nationally, the One Day’s Pay campaign hopes to spur more than 2 million
people into action this year, said spokeswoman Heather Bandura. Participants
are asked to make a “payment to the community” by performing a selfless act
such as giving blood. People can register their involvement on a Web site,
www.onedayspay.org.
Projects are planned in Georgia (refurbishing school classrooms) and
California (rebuilding wildfire-damaged homes), Bandura said. There’s even an
activity in Alaska, she said.
Elsewhere, groups such as the Airline Ambassadors are planning multi-city
efforts; its members from the airline industry will be collecting school
supplies for Iraqi children.
To expand its reach, One Day’s Pay has partnered this year with widely
recognized charities such as Goodwill Industries, the American Red Cross and
Habitat for Humanity International, Bandura said. Corporations such as Bank of
America and Verizon also have signed on, pledging to spread the word among
their employees.
Locally, the fledgling campaign doesn’t appear to have a groundswell of
agency support, yet the idea has started trickling into offices where it is
being discussed.
The Wyoming Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross had intended to get
involved, until Hurricane Charley hit and upended the agency’s agenda, a
spokeswoman said. (Even so, watch for Red Cross activities to be scheduled
throughout September, billed as National Preparedness Month. Or call
Meanwhile, leaders at Wyoming Valley Habitat for Humanity opted to schedule
an annual “Faith Building Marathon” for this Saturday.
Although not planned as part of One Day’s Pay, the project certainly
dovetails with the campaign’s spirit. “We selected September 11th, because it
has a lot of significance now,” said Executive Director Lillian Cohen.
Interested groups should call 820-8002.
The Volunteer Action Center, a division of the United Way of Wyoming
Valley, can offer more suggestions, especially for people who want to lend
help on a year-round basis.
The center asks volunteers about their interests, then matches them with
programs: food pantries, nursing homes, libraries and other do-good groups.
Call Maureen Jordan at 829-6711, ext. 236, or watch for “Volunteer
Opportunities” each Tuesday in the Times Leader.
Of course, One Day’s Pay participants don’t need to be part of a group to
memorialize the nearly 3,000 people killed during the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Often, the most heartfelt tributes are purely personal.
Last year, for example, a florist opted to give away thousands of roses.
Another person simply plugged coins into expired parking meters.
“We’re not even encouraging people to do (deeds) exclusively on Sept.
neighbor bring in the groceries.
“Just do something nice for somebody.”
CUTLINES:
PHOTOS/AIMEE DILGER
A national campaign called One Day’s Pay is encouraging people to do good
deeds on Sept. 11, such as pitching in to help with a Habitat for Humanity
project. Volunteer builders such as David Brakefield have been busy raising
walls on this Nanticoke home; the project continues Saturday.
Neighbor helping neighbor is the idea behind One Day’s Pay, a campaign
urging people to pay tribute each Sept. 11 to the victims of the 9-11 attacks.
Proponents hope to mobilize 2 million people this year. To muster volunteers,
they’ve partnered with well-known charities such as the American Red Cross and
Habitat for Humanity International.
