25 Years: Hartford 9/11 Day Event Seeks Volunteers To Pack Meals For Needy

HARTFORD, CT — Connecticut residents can mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks by helping pack meals for people facing food insecurity during a large-scale volunteer event Friday in Hartford.

The Hartford event will be held Sept. 11 at the PeoplesBank Arena Exhibition Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza, as part of the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.

Gov. Ned Lamont, the Connecticut Office of Higher Education, and Serve Connecticut are encouraging residents to participate in the nationwide service initiative.

Approximately 50,000 volunteers nationwide are expected to help pack millions of meals for individuals and families experiencing food insecurity, according to the governor's office.

Connecticut will host two large-scale meal-packing events, one in Hartford and another at The Redline Room in Bridgeport.

"September 11 is a day when Americans remember not only the tremendous loss our country experienced, but also the extraordinary sense of unity and service that followed," Lamont said. "Twenty-five years later, service has the power to bring people together, and that spirit is at the heart of how our nation responded in the days and months following September 11."

Organizers are seeking volunteers age 18 and older to serve on the Hartford event support team.

Volunteers will help set up the room, check in participants, keep meal-packing lines supplied, restock tables, box and palletize meals, and clean up after the event.

No previous experience is necessary, and training will be provided on site.

Organizers are asking event crew volunteers to make at least a four-hour commitment.

Participants can work one shift or volunteer for the entire day.

Higher Education Commissioner Timothy D. Larson said volunteering provides Connecticut residents with a way to commemorate the anniversary while helping others.

"These events give Connecticut residents an opportunity to work side by side to help neighbors facing food insecurity," Larson said. "I encourage individuals, families, organizations and employers across the state to get involved."

The September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance is a federally recognized observance intended to honor those killed in the attacks and those who responded by encouraging volunteerism and charitable acts.

"The September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance transforms the anniversary of 9/11 into a day of doing good and encourages Americans to honor those lost and those who responded by serving their communities," Serve Connecticut Director of Programs Kate Scheuritzel said.

Individuals and groups can participate.

Registration for the Hartford event and information about additional service opportunities are available through the 9/11 Day volunteer website.

For more information and to sign up to volunteer, click on this link.