Virginia's AmeriCorps State programs are participating in 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance events across the Commonwealth. From food drives to emergency preparedness events, our AmeriCorps teams are honoring those lives lost on September 11th through service to their communities. Many of these events are still looking for additional volunteers. If you are interested in serving at one of these events, please email the contact information listed for the event listed below:

Southwest Virginia/Roanoke Valley

• Council of Community Services Veterans Comfort Kit Drive (Roanoke) The Council of Community Services is collecting items for Comfort Kits to be distributed to local veterans through September 11th. Items needed: tissue packs, razors, tampons/pads, soap/shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, pre-packed snacks, gum, socks/gloves, hand warmers and fast food gift cards. The Council is partnering with VA Salem Medical Center, ARCH Services, and the City of Roanoke’s Homeless Assistance Team and will donate these items for their veteran clients. Contact: Amanda Holcomb, amandah@councilfofcommunityservices.org.

• United Way of Southwest Virginia 9/11 Day Events (Abingdon) Kicking off with a service project on September 7th, volunteer projects serving first responders are planned throughout the week following September 11th. Some of the projects will include painting the Clintwood Volunteer Fire Department and installing a flagpole at the Tazewell County Sheriff's Department. Contact: Debby Loggans, dloggans@unitedwayswva.org,

• Carroll County Public Schools 9/11 Day Food Drive (Carroll County and Floyd County) - Carroll County Public Schools' Lift Up AmeriCorps members and volunteers will host a food drive for non-perishable food for local food pantries on September 10th. Contact: Tonyia Gibson, tcgibson@ccpsd.k12.va.us.

• New River Community Action National Public Lands Day at Claytor Lake State Park (Roanoke Area) - Keep alive the spirit of unity and compassion to pay tribute to the victims of 9/11 and help us enhance and conserve Claytor Lake State Park by volunteering to help clean up trash/litter around the park on September 11th. Contact: Ryan, claytorlake@dcr.virginia.gov.

• Beans & Rice, Inc. (Radford) - Students and staff of Beans & Rice, Inc. will step up in service to mark the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks for the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance. Volunteers will be holding book drives for our after school programs and writing letters as well as making drawings for our First Responders in the NRV area, joining hundreds of thousands of Americans across the country in volunteer service. Contact: Eric Bucey, ebucey@beansandrice.org

Danville

• Institute for Advanced Learning and Research Day of Action Projects (Danville) The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) is participating in the United Way of Henry County and Martinsville's Day of Action on September 9th. This event offers opportunities for nearly 150 volunteers to complete numerous community projects. List of volunteer projects: https://virginiaservice.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Day-of-Action-Chart-2016_0.pdf

Central Virginia

• CARITAS 9/11 Commemoration Event & FeedMore Project (Richmond) CARITAS AmeriCorps held an AmeriCorps Orientation Day and 9/11 Commemoration event, followed by AmeriCorps members assembling food for the Meals on Wheels program for Feedmore on September 6th.

• City of Richmond ACES AmeriCorps 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance Event (Richmond) The City of Richmond, Neighbor to Neighbor and a number of partners, including City of Richmond ACES AmeriCorps program, are coordinating a day-long 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance event in Richmond on September 9th. The day will begin with a commemoration ceremony featuring Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones and be followed by Emergency Preparedness Workshops and Service Projects. Food donations will also be collected through September 11th with drop off at several locations. Contact: Paul Manning, paul.manning@richmondgov.com

• DCR Virginia State Parks 9/11 Service Project (Chesterfield County) The AmeriCorps program of the Virginia Service and Conservation Corps - DCR Division of State Parks will host a 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance at Pocahontas State Park. Volunteers will clean up the spectacular Beaver Lake Spillway, clear unwanted growth and replant native plants that help our natural ecosystem thrive on September 11th, 1-4 pm. Register online at https://ec.volunteernow.com/recruiter/index.php?recruiterID=1504&class=OppDetails&oppGuid=%7BBD4EFA1D-A484-46CC-BC54-1BE735FD21E3%7D.

Northern Virginia

• Arlington Works!, Aspire! & CASA AmeriCorps Programs' 9/11 Day of Service Food Drive (Arlington) AmeriCorps teams in the Arlington area are partnering with the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) for a food drive at BJ's Warehouse on September 10th and 11th. Members and volunteers will also be sorting food once it's brought back to the AFAC warehouse. Contact: Suzanne Grant, suzanne.grant@apsva.us.

• Community Residences, Inc., National Day of Service and Remembrance Event (Arlington) On September 10th, (10am-12pm) Community Residences, Inc. (CR) Volunteer Generation Fund program will host a 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance Event at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Arlington. The day’s activities, which include assembling paracord survival bracelets for Operation Gratitude, will be led by RCM Solutions employees alongside individuals with disabilities who are supported in CR’s residential and day programming. Contact: Veronica Laughman, vlaughman@comres.org.

• Goodskills Literacy Corps' 9/11 Patriotism Activity/Family Literacy Day (Fredericksburg) Rappahannock Goodwill - Goodskills Literacy Corps will be conducting patriotic craft and literacy activities on September 11th with children served by this program, who are mostly from non-native English speaking families. Contact: Shanna Boutchyard, shanna.boutchyard@fredgoodwill.org.

Eastern Virginia/Hampton Roads

• Alternatives, Inc.'s PASS & PASSL AmeriCorps Save the Children Emergency Preparedness Initiative (Hampton) Alternatives, Inc.'s PASS and PASSL AmeriCorps members will be training middle and high school youth to lead emergency preparedness ‘prep rallies’ at local community centers and youth serving agencies on the Virginia Peninsula on September 10th. They will be teaching children about disaster preparedness, how to create a family emergency plan, and how to create an emergency kit. Members and volunteers will also be creating and delivering emergency preparedness kits to senior citizens in Hampton and Newport News. 9-5 pm. Contact: Ally Graul, agraul@altinc.org.

• Virginia Veterans Corps 9/11 Service Project (Portsmouth) - Virginia Veterans Corps will be partnering with Points of Light on their 9/11 Service Project. The volunteers will be helping repair and remove loose debris and materials from around homes in the Mt. Hermon area of the City of Portsmouth as well as discuss and distribute disaster preparedness supplies to the community. Contact: Beth Rebholz, Beth.Rebholz@dvs.virginia.gov.