ATLANTA – Aug. 1, 2011 – HandsOn Network, the volunteer activation division of Points of Light Institute, announced today the awarding of 20 mini-grants to nonprofit organizations, partners and civic groups to mobilize volunteers for the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance.
“HandsOn Network, in collaboration with MyGoodDeed, a leading voice in the 9/11 community’s service movement, is excited to partner with organizations and civic groups across the country to organize service and remembrance projects for the 10th anniversary of 9/11,” said Amy Smith, president of HandsOn Network. “These projects will engage and inspire millions of individuals to serve on this day and beyond. The 10th anniversary of September 11 is an important moment for all people to make or renew their commitment to helping others and HandsOn Network is proud to be a part of this important movement.”
The grants, 10 at $2,500 and 10 at $1,000, were awarded through a competitive process. Grant recipients will collectively engage 6,800 volunteers as part of a national effort to inspire one million acts of service and build 9/11 Day into an annual catalyst for ongoing citizen engagement that creates a permanent, positive legacy honoring the victims and heroes of 9/11.
Grants of $2,500 were awarded to:
- Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services: building bridges and making metro Detroit a better place to live through service
- City of Houston: focusing on education and youth, veterans’ affairs, and health and public safety
- City of New Bedford mayor’s office: beautifying the city’s public spaces
- Michigan Community Service: addressing the needs of military families and veterans
- Nashville Fire Buffs: honoring police and firefighters
- Operation Homefront Arizona: gathering citizens to walk together to honor service members and veterans
- Serve Rhode Island: painting classrooms, cleaning up the environment and generating ideas to address unemployment, job creation and support for veterans and military families
- South Arkansas Regional Health Center Inc.: reading stories about “American Heroes” to school-age children
- United Way of Jackson County: catalyzing community empowerment through volunteerism
- Volunteer Center of Greater Kalamazoo and HandsOn Battle Creek: engaging volunteers of all skill levels and ages
Grants of $1,000 were awarded to:
- Columbia United Methodist Church: coordinating home improvement projects to help families in need
- HandsOn New Orleans: focusing on home rebuilding, disaster preparedness, community and green spaces and beautification
- HandsOn Northwest North Carolina: building Habitat for Humanity home and refurbishing a school greenhouse
- LOU Volunteer Center: supporting a food pantry, soup kitchen and school-based food distribution program
- Operation Homefront of Florida: gathering community in the Freedom Walk & Run
- Park View High School/The Extra Mile: hosting event benefiting DC Kitchen and creating quilts the Red Cross and USO
- Parkway Senior Center: collecting and packing goods for veterans and local food pantries
- Seattle Works: leading a blanket-making project for the local Red Cross chapter
- Volunteer Center for Anne Arundel County Inc.: cleaning up debris at the Maryland World War II memorial
- YWCA El Paso del Norte Region: completing a specially adapted home for disabled veteran
Through the generous support of American Express, JPMorgan Chase & Co., GlaxoSmithKline, Best Buy and other national sponsors, these grants are intended to increase the organization’s ability to engage volunteers and develop best-in-class projects for community engagement and impact.
About HandsOn Network
The volunteer-activation division of Points of Light Institute, Hands on Network includes 250 community action centers that deliver 30 million hours of volunteer service each year and extend to 16 countries around the world. These centers focus on helping people plug into volunteer opportunities in their local communities, partnering with more than 70,000 corporate, faith and nonprofit organizations to manage volunteer resources, and developing the leadership capacity of volunteers. Annually, the network delivers approximately 30 million hours of volunteer service valued at $626 million. For more information, please visit www.HandsOnNetwork.org.
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