WASHINGTON – Could Sept. 11 someday spur community participation much as Earth Day has become a consciousness-raising event benefiting the environment?
If President Obama signs the Serve America Act as expected later this month, the country will take a big step in that direction.
The legislation, which includes a variety of measures to encourage public service – such as an expansion of AmeriCorps and the establishment of four new service corps – designates Sept. 11 as a national day of service.
The idea was the brainchild of David Paine, who co-founded a group called My Good Deed with friend Jay Winuk.
They want to transform Sept. 11 into a celebration of the volunteerism that swept the nation after the 2001 terrorist attacks.
“The role 9/11 played in triggering, or rather reinvigorating, the spirit of service in this country was monumental,” said Paine. “It inspired a spirit of unity I have never seen in my lifetime.”
Winuk’s brother, Glenn, a New York attorney who trained as a volunteer firefighter, rushed to the World Trade Center after the first airliner hit on Sept. 11 to help. He died when the towers collapsed.
Jay Winuk said the day of service has gained widespread support from groups representing the victims of the attack.
“How do we want to tell future generations about 9/11?” Winuk asked. “Are students going to be taught about the attacks or those people who came from around the country to volunteer and send supplies?”
The Bush administration was reluctant to designate Sept. 11 as a day of service. President George W. Bush instead issued a proclamation declaring it as Patriot Day.
———
SERVICE BILL
The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act authorizes a major expansion to the federal government’s financial support for community service.
Some of its provisions:
• Expand AmeriCorps from 75,000 positions to 250,000 by 2017.
• Expands the age and income eligibility for Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions. Under a new Silver Scholars program people age 55 and older who volunteer for 350 hours or more would be eligible for a $1,000 grant for education. The grant could be transferred to a child or grandchild to defray the cost of their education.
• Establishes a Volunteer Generation Fund to award grants to states and nonprofits to recruit and train volunteers.
• Establishes Nonprofit Capacity Building Grants to help small to mid-sized nonprofits.
• Establishes a National Service Reserve Corps of former national service workers and military veterans who would be trained to respond to a major disaster under the coordination of FEMA.
• Establishes a Summer of Service program for 6th to 12th graders who would receive grants of $500.
• Establishes a Call to Service Campaign and designates Sept. 11 as a national day of service.
• Establishes a Social Innovation Fund to pay for experimental approaches to intractable community problems.