Local volunteers, driven by a deep sense of community and patriotism, converged at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, for a meal packing service project organized by 911day.org. This event marked the 22nd anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11, a day Americans and so many others around the world will never forget.
Volunteers, including members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other local groups, assembled to commemorate those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Their work embodied the pledge to “Never Forget” while extending a helping hand to those in need.
“I love that 9/11 has been set aside as a National Day of Service,” said Jana Tryon of Wylie. “We can never erase the tragic events of that day many years ago, but going forward we can take this day to honor the victims by serving our friends and neighbors in need.”
Volunteers from the Richardson, Garland, Wylie, Murphy and Sachse area were invited to sign up to serve at the meal pack through JustServe.org, which is a service provided by the Church of Jesus Christ to help organizations find volunteers to assist with service projects and volunteer needs.
As the meal pack came to a close, an estimated 800 volunteers from various organizations packed a total of 305,000 meals. The impact of the day of service benefited many people in so many different ways thanks to organizers, sponsors and volunteers.
“Together we can accomplish great things. Serving others does just as much for me as the people I serve,” said Church of Jesus Christ volunteer Susana Milhoan of Wylie.