Tens of thousands of Latter-day Saints participated in community service projects nationwide this weekend as a way to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the tragic attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.
The National Day of Service was designed to bring people and communities together, said Sister Sharon Eubank, president of Latter-day Saint Charities, the humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“The founders of the 9/11 National Day of Service want people to remember not the terror but the ability to come together. And that’s why I love this opportunity for us — all faiths, all political persuasions, all neighborhoods — people join and do something that we can care about: making our communities better,” Sister Eubank said in a news release. “And that’s a tremendous legacy to remember what happened, our country and the very best that we can be.”
Among many community projects, volunteers began building an outdoor performance stage and weeded an asphalt drive at Wat Dhammagunaram, the Thai Buddhist Temple in Layton, Utah.
Hundreds gathered at Centerville Junior High School to assemble 850 backpacks and more than 1,800 hygiene kits for underprivileged students in the Davis School District.
In West Jordan, volunteers cut and tied fleece blankets that will be donated to children in need.
Latter-day Saints also contributed to community projects in Georgia, Minnesota and other locations, according to the news release.
Volunteers can continue to sign up for hundreds of 9/11 Day projects by location on JustServe.Org.
Read the full article at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.