August 10, 2011
Erika Stone, (928) 515-4454 or e[email protected]
9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance
YAVAPAI COUNTY, AZ – Hundreds of community members across Yavapai County are expected to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of Sept. 11 by volunteering to fight hunger in our community, in the spirit of service that followed the devastating day. SERVE Yavapai, a collaborative of the Yavapai County VISTA Project of Prescott College and the Yavapai County AmeriCorps Project of Community Counts, will be leading a two week long food drive to benefit local food banks and food security programs and show Arizona’s commitment to volunteerism.
In 2009, the United States Congress passed bipartisan legislation, signed by President Barack Obama, which formally recognized Sept. 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. Thanks to the tireless efforts by the 9/11 families and community, nonprofits, governments and businesses that support them, the day reclaims the legacy of Sept. 11 and creates a permanent, positive tribute to all those lost and those who rose in service. Through the nationwide 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance initiative, SERVE Yavapai will be joining hundreds of other organizations around the country commemorating Sept. 11 with community-based service programs.
Beginning Aug. 28, volunteers can drop off non-perishable food at the following locations: Prescott YMCA, Coalition for Compassion and Justice (located at Prescott United Methodist Church), The SERVE Office on the Prescott College campus, Community Counts in Prescott Valley, and Beaver Creek School. There are additional drop-off sites for your convenience that can be found on the YCVP website. The drive will conclude on Sept. 11 with a volunteer run food collection and sorting event at the Prescott United Methodist Church from 12-3pm. Food will then be distributed to local area food banks and food security programs in need.
In an effort to demonstrate Arizona’s commitment to volunteerism and service, SERVE Yavapai will also be tracking volunteer numbers for this service project. “Recently Arizona has ranked 47th in volunteer engagement nationally. Too often the beautiful generosity of our community goes unnoticed, underappreciated, and undercounted.” said Margaret Garvey, Director of the Yavapai County VISTA Project.
A very special thank you to our service day partners and sponsors: Coalition for Compassion & Justice, Prescott Alternative Transportation, First Things First of Arizona, Prescott Area Leadership, Prescott United Methodist Church, Head Start, Yavapai County Habitat for Humanity, Prescott Area Women’s Shelter, People Who Care, Neighbor to Neighbor, Yavapai College and the Retiree Connection, Yavapai Community Health Services and the Medical Reserve Corps, SeniorCorps of NAU, The Call to Duty Foundation, Beaver Creek Regional Council, Juvenile Probation Office, Prescott Fine Arts Association, Stepping Stones Agencies, Prescott YMCA, The City of Prescott, Granite Peak Universalist Unitarian Congregation, ECOSA, Community Counts, Prescott College, and Corporation for National and Community Service.
SERVE Yavapai seeks to help build and sustain the efforts of Yavapai County service providers and community members to continually improve the quality of life across the region.
For more information, please contact Erika Stone, Yavapai County VISTA Project, at (928) 515-4454 or [email protected]. Additional drop-off locations can be found at: www.ycvp.org.