Cary Non-Profits Look for Volunteers on 9/11 Day of Service
Cary, NC – For the past six years, local non-profits have counted on September 11 as a day to boost community volunteers and this year is no different, with an estimated 2,500 Triangle residents giving their time to these organizations, including several in Cary.
Day of Service
Activate Good, the Triangle-based non-profit volunteer center, has coordinated the 9/11 Day of Service since 2011, where citizens are connected with local non-profits that need volunteer work. Each year, the event takes place on September 11 as a way to honor the people who died in the attacks, said Activate Good Executive Director Amber Smith.
“As time has passed, what I think myself and others remember from 9/11 is how people came together. That sentiment never expires,” Smith said. “In this time when so many people disagree and argue with each other, this is something we can still agree on: to help our community.”
On this year’s Day of Service, which takes place on a Tuesday, Activate Good has laid out what organizations need volunteers and how many are needed. There are also opportunities in Cary, including Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore and the Center for Volunteer Caregiving.
“Our entire mission is to inspire people to volunteer in their community,” Smith said. “The 9/11 Day of Service always brings attention to the needs here.”
Growing Need
Smith said of all the volunteer days Activate Good coordinates, the 9/11 Day of Service is always the biggest.
“The 9/11 Day of Service has grown over the past seven years from around 400 volunteer participants in our first year to over 2,000 volunteers each year on average,” Smith said. “This year, we’re aiming for 2,500 and we have the volunteer needs to match that. If all our volunteer needs are filled, we’ll far surpass that.”
People looking for volunteer opportunities can go through the Activate Good website or find the 9/11 Day of Service page.
“We love for people to come out because the need is certainly there,” Smith said.
Story by Michael Papich. Photos by Daniel Thornton and Hal Goodtree.
