Today, 9/11, is National Day of Service and Remembrance

Source:  http://www.serve.gov/sept11.asp

9/11 is a significant day. It’s a date where many remember where they were and what they were doing.  It is also a day where many lost their lives, some tragically and some heroically.

Because of this,

In 2009, Congress designated September 11th as a National Day of Service and Remembrance under bipartisan federal law, and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with helping to support this effort across the country. For the anniversary, CNCS is working with MyGoodDeed and numerous other organizations to implement one of the largest days of charitable service in U.S. history.

You can visit www.serve.gov to learn what registered volunteer opportunities are available in your community.

Additionally, do also check out local newspapers and other news outlets for opportunities. For example the local News and Observer published “Sept. 11 volunteer day draws big response in Raleigh” which provides information on select volunteer activities.

And, on this day, as we remember 9/11, remember that your genealogy and family history societies, local libraries, state archives and other places where we do research RELY ON VOLUNTEERS!  Without volunteers, many societies and repositories would be shut down.

And, in this modern age where we have e-mail, Facebook, Yahoo Groups, Dropbox and many more tech tools to help us, they can also facilitate volunteering where you don’t even have to leave your house (e.g. you can participate in your jammies) nor live where you are providing assistance!  For example, the local Wake County Genealogical Society has a newsletter editor who lives in FL, has individuals living all across the country (literally) who help on the journal and newsletter (providing content or abstracting documents received in PDF format), has had committee members living out of state (e.g. Bylaws committee), etc.  Without these volunteers, many of whom have never stepped foot in Wake County, the society might have folded several years ago!

So, as you remember 9/11, think how you might help a local or remote society or repository whose existence is vital to genealogy and family history researchers.  Such will not save a life and it will help preserve the stories of all of us for future generations.

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