9/11 National Day of Service with Jersey Cares

Nine years ago during the months after 9/11, I remember being awestruck by the outpouring of genuine kindness and the remarkable increase in civic engagement. I remember hearing from my friends, my family and from the media that we should “value this moment in time because eventually people would lose this spirit and go back to their everyday lives and forget how 9/11 inspired us all.”

To my friends, my family, and yes, to you, the media – I want to say that you were not completely accurate in your overall prediction. I say this from a fresh and rejuvenated perspective because now that I have started my year of service as an AmeriCorps Member at Jersey Cares, I am constantly inspired everyday by the humanitarian spirit of the many people who I meet, speak to, and work with on a daily basis.

It’s both exciting and monumental for me that my first major service project was on 9/11, which is now considered a National Day of Service. Nine years ago, I never would have imagined the type of work that I would be doing today, nor did I have any idea as to where exactly my career would take me. My saying always was, “I just want to help people and inspire others to do the same.”

On September 11, 2010, I got to do just that when I helped to lead a group of over fifty volunteers revitalize a charter school in Jersey City. Not only did I learn about all of the planning and the preparation that goes into making such a project happen; but I also learned that the spirit of volunteerism did not just “fade away” after 9/11. Today, there still is a tremendous amount of people who continue to nourish their humanitarian spirit; it’s just that unlike nine years ago, it is no longer the major focus of the news.

During the National Day of Service, I met over fifty people who came out on a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon simply because they wanted to volunteer out of the kindness of their hearts. There were men and women of all ages - teenagers, parents, college students, and even two young children who were no older than six years of age. Together we made bare walls beautiful. The orange walls of the cafeteria turned into canvases of artwork inspired by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The hallways went from long empty corridors, to breathtaking pictures and inspirational quotes about the endless possibilities we all have with an education. The library was transformed into a stimulating environment, full of colorful pictures and quotations. Our volunteers even took a plain, concrete blacktop and turned it into an interactive recreational area filled with lines games including a mini soccer field, four square, and hopscotch.

As I reflect on all of the wonderful people I met that I day, I can’t help but smile. The young man, who took a simple tree and added his own personal touch and made a beautiful garden scene, complete with flowers and an apple tree. The group who carefully mixed colors to effectively create a multicultural scene of hands holding up the world. The little boy who helped paint a bookworm with his mom, who was so excited about his creation that he could not stop dancing around the room when Enrique Iglesias played on the radio.

Thank you everyone for all of your hard work. Jersey Cares would have never been able to complete this project without your help. And on a personal note, thank you, for helping me recognize that the spirit of volunteerism is still, very much alive.

Sarah Lansey

AmeriCorps Member

Jersey Cares

A Year of Service

AmeriCorps National Direct Service member Heather McGreevy has served as our Volunteer Relations Coordinator for the better part of a year, shepherding groups and teams of volunteers through registration and introducing them to our monthly volunteer projects. We're very sad to see Heather go, and before she leaves we've asked her to share her takeaways from a year of dedicated service with you.

At the start of my term I embarked on a 1700 hour journey that would take me not only all over New Jersey, but to a different space in which to think, a different lens to view the world, and a new found appreciation for volunteers. My experience as a Jersey Cares AmeriCorps member has given me the opportunity to be Oz’s wizard behind the curtain enabling thousands of New Jersey citizens to be the change for their community.  Their direct service to those in need has been at many times awe-inspiring, heartwarming, and impressive. In October, I became familiar with Christopher who is probably my most celebrated volunteer from this experience. A year ago Christopher’s mom asked her then 7 year old son to button up on his way to the bus stop. When he asked why, she responded that not everyone was as lucky to have a coat as he was.  Determined to put a warm coat on as many New Jersey residents as he could, Christopher set out on a campaign that would inspire his neighbors, business owners, and fellow students in his town of Hillsborough.  

With what started as knocking on a few doors, distributing some flyers, and placing a bin outside his door Christopher has grown his coat collection effort so that it composed nearly 15% of the 40,000 coats collected throughout New Jersey this past year. He reminds us that building a better community can start with something as simple as a bin outside your house. His effort reinforces the idea that grand plans and complicated systems are not necessary to have great impact. Christopher’s enthusiasm to do good for his community at such a young age was beyond inspiring. His ability to mobilize his neighbors I found unbelievably humbling.  Only a little over a month into my year of service and I had encountered one of Jersey’s premier citizens with a heart bigger than the moon.

Christopher is only one of many volunteers who have been a source of inspiration and hope throughout my year of service. A man who has led other volunteers in projects for 15 years, a woman who doesn’t let a blizzard stop her from attending a project, a teenager who thrives on feeding those who would go without – these are the heroes I have the utmost privilege to work with each and every day for the last year.  It has been nothing short of an honor to work for and alongside these local change agents. The power of volunteerism to impact meaningful change in a community can be difficult to measure, but this seemingly intangible and most certainly indomitable force can effect sustainable change for generations to come.  For these volunteers, volunteering isn’t a requirement. It’s not a chore.  It’s not an inconvenience.  For them it’s a way of life.  It’s a great way to end the day. It’s a passion to help their neighbors. It is an unquestionable commitment to being the change.

The year has not been without its challenges, but throughout the experience I will always return to the volunteers and how much I admire their efforts. I have the very special job of going home each day knowing that I helped make it happen.  I have the humbling experience of knowing I am only a very small part in their amazing work. Over 1700 hours later I am honored to have participated in the national service movement as an AmeriCorps member. Thanks for reading. I hope you’ll take the time to be the change in the coming months.

-By Heather McGreevy