How to Participate in the 9/11 National Day of Service

9/11 Day, known formally as “Patriot Day,” has been designated by Congress as a national day of service and remembrance to pay tribute to the victims of 9/11 through charitable service and good deeds. 

The American Legion Auxiliary urges its members to participate in 9/11 Day. We encourage members to make an official pledge of service on the 9/11 Day of Service website. We then invite members to “pass It on!” and share their pledge with other through Twitter, Facebook or other means. By sharing your pledges of service with others, ALA members serve as role models who motivate and challenge others to serve. Participating in national days of service, such as 9/11, is a suggested activity within the ALA community service plan of action.

Make a 9/11 Day of Service Pledge

To get involved in the 9/11 Day of Service, make a pledge to serve others on or around 9/11. You can participate in a volunteer activity or project of which are already a part and encourage others to join you. Or, you can organize a service activity specifically for 9/11 Day. Your service pledge can be as broad or as specific as you’d like, so long as it is in the spirit of service and remembrance. If you are looking for a lead to a specific service opportunity, consider pledging to sign up as Military Spouse eMentor, a new online program sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation where volunteers can share advice with military spouses seeking employment. Additional information about the mentor program is available at http://ementorprogram.org/p/milspouse/about. 

Share Your 9/11 Dayof Service Pledge with Others

ALA encourages its members to share their 9/11 day of service pledge on social media sites. We recommend Twitter and Facebook. 

A. Share your pledge on Twitter:

1. Visit 911day.org and make your pledge. 
2. On the same screen as the pledge, scroll down to the header, “Help Us Grow the 9/11 Day Movement.” Selectthe share option. 
3. “Pass It On!” by sharing your pledge on Twitter. Be sure to include the #911day and #ALA tags in your message tomake sure your pledge is seen by others. 
4. Search #ALA throughout the day on 9/11 to see how other ALA members are pledging to serve.
5. Be sure to follow @ALAforVeterans to keep up with ALA via Twitter on 9/11 Day and every day. 

Example Tweet: “I will sign up as an eMentor to help military spouses gain meaningful employment. What good deed will you pledge? 911day.org #911day #ALA”

ExampleTweet: “I will read to kids on my military base next week.What good deed will you pledge? 911day.org#911day #ALA”

B. Share your pledge on Facebook:

1. Visit 911day.org and make your pledge. 
2. On the same screen as the pledge sign up, scroll down to the header, “Help Us Grow the 9/11 Day Movement.” Select the share option. 
3. “Pass It On!” by sharing yourpledge on Facebook. Be sure to tagusby including ‘@American Legion Auxiliary National Headquarters’ and ‘#ALA’ in your post to make sure your pledge is seen by others.
4. ‘Like’ the ALA National Headquarters Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ALAforVeterans.

Example: “I will sign up as an eMentor to help military spouses gain meaningful employment.What will you dotoday? 911day.org @American Legion Auxiliary National Headquarters #ALA”

Example: “I will read to military kids on base next week. What will you do today? 911day.org @American Legion Auxiliary National Headquarters #ALA”

Other Ways to Get Involved in 9/11 Day

Not everyone can, or wants to pledge their service online. Please participate in 9/11 Day somehow. Visit 911day.org to explore service project opportunities in your community and State. If there are no projects listed in your area, consider working with your Unit to organize your own 9/11 Day project, or do some volunteering individually. 

Report Your Impact

Be sure to report your 9/11 Day activities and hours to your unit’s Community Service Chairman.