George Mason University students are taking the lead to organize the second annual Mason Nation 9/11 Day of Service as the university once again joins the largest annual day of charitable engagement in the United States. In 2013, 47 million Americans observed the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. Last year, with substantial support from the Division of University Life and Mason’s Honors College, students helped organize efforts for the inaugural event and hundreds of Mason students, faculty and staff members served.
As a result of the new Mason Service Council’s strong student leadership, this year’s event has grown and not only local service to the community, but also includes a service project with two international beneficiaries. Registration opened on August 25 for eight service projects to be held on September 11. Two of the projects are accepting donated items: the Women Giving Back clothing drive and the James Mott Community Assistance Program food drive.
Other projects and fundraisers during the week include:
- The Filipino Cultural Association, Working Group for Displaced Populations, Amazon, and Mason’s Department of Women and Gender Studies will host a fundraiser at Skyline and Hanover for two projects in the Philippines: a children’s shelter and an endangered village. All funds collected will go to the Tambayan Children’s Center.
- Alpha Phi and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8469 will host a Buddy Poppy drive on the Fairfax Campus at the Johnson Center North and South Plazas as well as in the Corner Pocket patio to raise money for veterans’ services.
- The Office of Social Action and Integrative Learning and Alpha Phi Omega will encourage students, faculty and staff to landscape the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post and reorganize its library at 5703 Vogue Rd, Fairfax Station, VA, 22039.
- The Hispanic Student Association will guide youngsters at Mason’s Child Development Center in emergency preparedness activities.
- Honors College and Phi Kappa Sigma will collect, inspect and sort clothes to be delivered to the Women Giving Back store, a HomeAid program that provides free clothing to women and children in Northern Virginia homeless shelters.
- Alpha Kappa Alpha and Alpha Greek Life members will collect food donations for the James Mott Community Assistance Program which serves 175 families weekly including those who reside in senior community centers and in a center for HIV/AIDS patients who are ill and disabled.
- The Mason Organic Gardening Association and Students Helping Honduras will team up in the northeast corner of Innovation Hall for the Food Forest project. The gardening association also will weed, plant seeds, harvest vegetables, design, paint, water, compost in the Potomac Heights Vegetable Garden near the Aquatic and Fitness Center.
The event has also seen great support from local government officials and City of Fairfax Mayor, R. Scott Silverthorne, who will join the day’s opening festivities.
Encourage your students to get involved in the community and participate in activities scheduled through the 9/11 Day of Service by registering at http://911day.onmason.com/service-projects/.
Sudha Kamath
Communications Officer
Office of Strategic Communications