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9/11 in Paterson: A Day for Community Service
Monday, September 10, 2012 • 1:08pm
Last night I watched the movie “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” in which a child sought meaning to the horrific events of September 11th by frenetically searching New York City for something he thought his father had left behind for him. In the end, there was no secret lock box—just the raw pain and unending grief that so many people feel even today, more than a decade after the worst terroristic attack in our nation’s history.
The movie underscored for me how important it is to continue to honor the memory of the brave men and women who died on September 11th. This September 11th, NJCDC will attempt to do exactly this—as we do each year—by making September 11th a day of community service in Paterson. I’d like to invite Patersonians to join us in volunteering a couple of hours to build a better community in memory of those we lost that fateful day.
NJCDC’s AmeriCorps program will mobilize youth and families to unite the Paterson community through a project called “Schools & Parks of Peace”. There will be beautification projects at three neighborhood schools: the Community Charter School of Paterson, Kennedy High School, and Paterson School #5. Work will include building peace benches, planting community gardens, and installing unity-themed murals at the three schools. The service will begin at 3:30 pm at each site and run until 7:00 pm.
All members of the community 13 years of age and older are welcome, and high school students can earn community service hours. Please feel free to bring a friend or a family member to join you.
Come dressed to get dirty!
For more information, contact NJCDC’s AmeriCorps staff, Carrie Morrow at cmorrow@njcdc.org or 973-413-1626 or Nicole Sweeney at nsweeney@njcdc.org or 973-413-1634.
Robert F. Guarasci
Chief Executive Officer
New Jersey Community Development Corporation
