Earlier this fall, the Virginia Service Foundation announced twelve recipients of the 9/11 National Day of Service Mini Grant program, offering up to $250 awards to selected organizations to support service projects that engaged community members in volunteerism in September 2024. View photos from all of the projects on the Serve Virginia Flickr and keep reading for a summary of what this year's 9/11 Day of Service mini grantees achieved in their communities through the support of the Virginia Service Foundation...

Franklin County Master Gardeners - Twelve volunteers braved the rain and constructed a storage shelf for the tools that they need in the garden on a daily basis. They used treated lumber, hardware cloth to keep mice and other rodents out, along with plastic pallets as the shelving which will not rot out or draw ants like has happened in past years. Being able to store their tools in one central location, they were able to open up more space to add two more raised beds in the garden, which will allow them to plant, grow, and harvest more fresh produce to donate to local food banks.

GoochlandCares - Volunteers assembled dental kits to support community members using the Dental Clinic, providing essential items for oral health including toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, and other hygiene essentials. Participants also sorted over-the-counter medications that supports our Medical Clinic. 

Health Brigade - On Sunday, September 29, a group of nine volunteers generously gave their time to assemble hygiene kits at Health Brigade. The volunteers are members of the Emerging Leaders Council at Health Brigade and are young professionals and community members dedicated to supporting the mission of Health Brigade through volunteerism and fundraising. All together the group assembled 200 hygiene kits for distribution by the Comprehensive Harm Reduction outreach team.

Huddle Up Moms - Thirteen volunteers hosted a pop-up shop for pregnant community members and parents who are in need, distributing over 450 essential items, including 312 diapers, and directly serving 30 women.

Kids Give Back - At Kids Give Back, three community groups of kids decorated the pillowcases throughout September, including attendees at the NOVA Family Fair, Girl Scout Troop members, and students from Cardinal Springs Elementary School in Springfield, Virginia. The kids decorated 50 pillowcases for distribution to Operation Gratitude, who will include them in care packages for overseas military.

King of Kings Lutheran Church South Dulles - With the support of a 9/11 Day of Service Mini Grant, the congregation assembled a total of 113 "Backpack Buddy" kits on behalf of the Dulles South Food Pantry. These kits contained food to provide weekend meals for students whose families typically receive free and reduced lunch at school. Each kit contained two proteins, two snacks, two fruits, four drinks, two breakfasts, and two mac n' cheese cups. The kits were assembled and distributed to local schools and families in need.

Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area - Through Literacy Volunteers Winchester, Leyendo Juntos hosted a 9/11 Day of Service event with interactive activities designed to engage children and families in meaningful ways, fostering a sense of community and learning (pictured). The event saw a turnout of approximately 30 attendees, including children, parents, and community members. The interaction with the firefighters was particularly popular, drawing enthusiastic participation from the children.

Shenandoah University Center for Civic Engagement - On September 11, 2024, after Shenandoah University’s service of remembrance in honor of those who lost their lives that day, their Center for Civic Engagement hosted a meal packing event to benefit members of the campus community who may be experiencing food insecurity. They packed non-perishable pantry ingredients and a recipe for a complete meal, to be offered in their own Buzzy’s Food Pantry. Student volunteers helped pack the meal ingredients and recipes. While they worked, they talked about food insecurity and the role that Buzzy’s Food Pantry plays in their campus community.

SOAR365 - In support of SOAR365, 30 Dominion Energy volunteers gathered at Camp Baker to give back to the community. A small but impactful team of six volunteers spread mulch throughout key areas of the camp, provided with support from the 911 Day of Service Mini Grant. Their efforts not only enhanced the camp’s natural beauty but also improved accessibility for campers by creating safer, well-maintained pathways. This meaningful work helped ensure the camp remains a welcoming and accessible space for everyone.  

Start 1 Spark - Fourteen older adults at the Lakewood Retirement Community assembled 200 snack kits for Start 1 Spark’s Fuel for Fun program. Start 1 Spark addresses food insecurity for middle school student-athletes by providing snack kits on game days. The Fuel for Fun program is greatly appreciated and always requested by Start 1 Spark’s four partner schools making it a high demand service. Through the National Day of Service mini-grant, Start 1 Spark purchased the food items and Lakewood volunteers enjoyed an afternoon of socializing with each other while contributing to the health and development of disadvantaged middle school students.

Virginia Living Museum - The Virginia Living Museum’s 23-acre campus includes an outdoor trail that traverses woodland and wetland.  For the 9/11 Day of Service, the Museum welcomed eight volunteers from WM Jordan Co. who contributed a total of 25.5 hours of service for the Day of Caring on September 20, 2024. With hundreds of thousands of guests enjoying the trail over the past years, the Dino Trail was in dire need of refurbishment and renewal. These dedicated volunteers raked the Dino Trail and added new mulch all around the trail and children’s play areas to ensure the space remains safe and accessible for all of our guests this year.

White Hall Ruritan Club - During their Day of Service, Ruritan Club members worked on the interior and exterior of their property, including preparing the site for a new shed that was purchased and installed on-site in order to help them better serve their community and improve accessibility.

View photos from all of the projects on the Serve Virginia Flickr.

To learn more about National Days of Service mini-grants in Virginia, visit the Virginia Service Foundation.