Governor Cuomo Announces Commemoration of September 11th Day of Service by New York State AmeriCorps Members

Albany, NY - September 9, 2014 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that hundreds of AmeriCorps members from all corners of New York State will converge on Albany County to complete a community service project as part of the September 11^th National Day of Service and Remembrance. The project is part of a two-day nationwide event that also marks the 20th anniversary of the AmeriCorps national service program.

“In the aftermath of September 11th, New Yorkers from every corner of the State came together to support one another, and we continue this tradition by volunteering in the memory of those who were lost,” Governor Cuomo said. “Volunteers like AmeriCorps members are part of a long history of service in New York State, and as we commemorate this important day I encourage all New Yorkers to come together and give back to their communities.” 

The New York State Commission on National and Community Service – New Yorkers Volunteer, a Governor-appointed commission, uses the power of AmeriCorps to address some of the State’s most challenging issues, and encourages citizens to make a difference in the lives of their neighbors. More than 72,000 AmeriCorps members in New York have completed more than 110 million hours of service since 1994.
 
September 11th National Day of Service
Hundreds of AmeriCorps members will spend the afternoon of September 11 cleaning debris, painting buildings and beautifying Lawson Lake County Park in southern Albany County. Their work will be part of an ongoing effort to rejuvenate the 420-acre park and its 25 buildings.

New York State Commission on National and Community Service Executive Director Linda Cohen said, “AmeriCorps calls on Americans to improve their nation through service. New Yorkers have responded to that call in a big way. We are so pleased to be partnering with Albany County to deliver much-needed help to Lawson Lake County Park, and proud of the AmeriCorps members who have traveled to make the country’s dreams of improvement a reality. They will honor the memory of 9/11 by doing what so many New Yorkers did in the aftermath of the tragedy: they will come together to serve.”
 
Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy said, “I am pleased that Albany County’s premier outdoor recreational facility will be a part of the commemoration of the September 11^th National Day of Service and Remembrance. This volunteer service project will benefit the community and provide a more welcoming place for residents in the region. I want to thank AmeriCorps and the New York State Commission on National & Community Service for working with us on this special project.”

Following their service, AmeriCorps members will be specially welcomed to the New York State Museum for a program that includes the viewing of the Museum’s 9/11 exhibit. Members will also participate in a discussion about the meaning of service and create a paper quilt that will be displayed at the AmeriCorps 20th Anniversary and Kickoff Event on September 12.
 
The State Museum exhibit, “World Trade Center: Rescue, Recovery, Response,” details the history of the World Trade Center, the September 11 attacks, the rescue efforts, the evidence recovery operation at the Fresh Kills facility and the public response to the September 11 events. The exhibition includes objects, images, videos and interactive stations documenting the tragic chapter in New York and United States history.

State Museum Director Mark Schaming said, “The State Museum is honored to host more than four hundred AmeriCorps members on September 11. Our World Trade Center exhibition will provide AmeriCorps members the opportunity to honor those who were lost 13 years ago, reflect on the impact of those who served on September 11, and renew their own commitment to public service."
 
The September 11th Day of Service will conclude with a brief moment of silence and reflection at the Empire State Plaza.

20th Anniversary and Kickoff Event
AmeriCorps was founded in 1994 with the goal of engaging Americans in service. AmeriCorps members are active in addressing issues like education and youth, veterans and military families, disaster preparedness and response, economic opportunity, health and health education, and environmental stewardship. This year’s celebration and kickoff event is a time to reflect on what AmeriCorps has been able to accomplish and to look ahead to what it will achieve in the future. 

Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National Service, the Federal agency that administers AmeriCorps, said, “AmeriCorps members make a powerful impact on the toughest challenges facing our nation. Building on New York’s strong tradition of neighbor helping neighbor, AmeriCorps members have improved countless lives across New York over the past 20 years. AmeriCorps has become an indispensable solution for America’s communities.”
 
On September 12, President Obama will hold a ceremony at the White House to lead a simultaneous, nationwide swearing-in of AmeriCorps members in every state, replicating the first pledge ceremony by President Bill Clinton on September 12, 1994. The pledge event will recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of AmeriCorps over the past 20 years and kick off another year of high-impact national service for 75,000 AmeriCorps members serving coast to coast.
 
AmeriCorps has left an indelible mark on communities across New York State, but members and alumni Statewide often express that the program has had a lifelong effect on them as well, personally and professionally.
 
Andy Damon, an AmeriCorps member serving as a Karner Blue Butterfly Steward at Saratoga Spa State Park with the Student Conservation Association, said, “Whether it was a ‘before and after’ picture of a hard day’s work, or the smile on the face of a community member at one of our events, all the hard work seemed to pay off. This experience with the SCA AmeriCorps has made me realize that I do want to continue my work in conservation and that the experiences I gained will stay with me forever.”

Western New York AmeriCorps alumnus Nick Schifano, Director of Project SOAR, said, “AmeriCorps proves that the power to help is greater than any other power the human being has. I believe that if every person in the country devotes one year of their life to service, the world would be a different place. In order to make a difference, you must have your feet on the ground doing the dirty work day in and day out while never losing sight of your purpose in life.”
 
The following funded programs will be included in the service project and kickoff event in Albany on September 11 and 12: 

AmeriCorps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a Federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, the Social Innovation Fund and the Volunteer Generation Fund, and leads the President's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. In 2009, Congress designated September 11th as a National Day of Service and Remembrance under Federal law, and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with helping to support this effort across the country. Since 1994, more than 830,000 Americans have provided more than 1 billion hours of service.

For more information about the Corporation for National and Community Service, visit NationalService.gov. For more information about New York State Commission on National and Community Service, visit NewYorkersVolunteer.ny.gov, “like” NYS CNCS on Facebook, or follow @NYersVolunteer on Twitter.