Volunteers Observe the 22nd Anniversary of 9/11 by Packing 335,000 Nutritious Meals for The Greater Boston Food Bank
22 Years After the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks, Millions of Americans Now Pay Tribute Through Volunteerism and Good Deeds
More than 1,000 volunteers from Greater Boston plan to spend the anniversary of 9/11 helping others by packing 335,000 healthy, non-perishable meals to be donated to The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) for distribution to individuals and families at risk of hunger in the Boston area.
According to Feeding America, one in four Americans experience food insecurity every day.
The Boston Meal Pack for 9/11 Day is being held at Boston University’s Agganis Arena (925 Comm. Ave. Boston) on September 11th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and is hosted by AmeriCorps and the 9/11 nonprofit 9/11 Day. 9/11 Day was founded in 2002 by 9/11 leaders and led the efforts to establish September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance under federal law.
Now in its third year in Boston, the Boston Meal Pack for 9/11 Day is one of 18 9/11 Day Meal Packs that are being organized in cities across America. 9/11 Day is partnering with Meals of Hope to manage the food packing operations for the Boston Meal Pack for 9/11 Day, and working with Boston Cares for event recruitment with support by JustServes.org. As many as 20,000 volunteers are expected to participate nationwide, packing more than 6,000,000 meals for 9/11 Day and as part of Feeding America’s Hunger Action Month.
In Boston, more than 45 of the area’s leading corporations and their employees are planning to participate in the Boston Meal Pack for 9/11 Day, including Jordan’s Furniture, ProAmpac, and Fidelity. (*see list of additional organizations below). Nationally, the 9/11 Day Meal Pack program is being supported by AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, along with Citi, United Airlines, JPMorgan Chase, Reliance Steel & Aluminum, and KPMG.
Boston Meal Packing Event
- Date: Monday, September 11, 2023 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Location: Boston University’s Agganis Arena – 925 Comm. Ave. Boston, MA
- More Information: Local volunteers will gather to pack over 100,000 Meals for the Greater Boston Food Bank (nationally, 11,000 volunteers will pack 2.6 million meals for local food banks).
This donation is in tribute to the 9/11 victims, first responders, recovery workers, military personnel, and others who rose in service in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks. The event will be a living, breathing example of coming together in the name of service – with 500 local volunteers marking the day by serving neighbors in need alongside 11 other cities in the U.S. (Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, St. Louis, and Washington DC). 9/11 Day is partnering with Meals of Hope to manage the food packing operations for the Boston Meal Pack for 9/11 Day, and working with Boston Cares for event support.
According to a GBFB study, 1 in 3 households in Massachusetts experienced food insecurity last year.
“We are so grateful that this annual 9/11 Day food packing event will once again supply much-needed meals to several of our food distribution partners across Eastern Mass., many of them serving more people now than at any other time in the past three and a half years,” said Catherine D’Amato, president and CEO at The Greater Boston Food Bank. “Access to healthy food is a human right regardless of an individual’s circumstances. Now more than ever our community needs to come together to help the growing number of families and individuals experiencing a lack of access to nutritious food.”
Over the past 22 years, since the September 11 terrorist attacks, the 9/11 anniversary has transformed into the largest day of service in America. Overall, more than 30 million Americans participate in 9/11 Day each year, dedicating time to helping others in need, and rekindling the spirit of unity that brought Americans together in the days following the 9/11 tragedy. As a growing annual tradition, many Americans also share their “good deed” plans via social media on the morning of 9/11 under the annual #IWillFor911Day social media initiative.
“Our lives have been shaped by how we, as a country, came together to respond in the wake of 9/11,” said Michael D. Smith, CEO, AmeriCorps, which provides opportunities for Americans of all backgrounds to serve their country, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, and improve lives and communities. “Through a spirit of unity and an enduring commitment to our most cherished values, the 9/11 Day of Service provides Americans an opportunity to reflect, remember and take action, knowing we’re unstoppable when we stand together.”
“Access to healthy food is a human right regardless of an individual’s circumstances. Now more than ever our community needs to come together to help the growing number of families and individuals experiencing a lack of access to nutritious food.” – Catherine D’Amato, President and CEO of The Greater Boston Food Bank
Additional Participating Local Sponsor Organizations: Delta Air Lines, Morgan Lewis, Clarion, MSCI, Pfizer, Doble Engineering, Target, United Airlines, Motorola Solutions, Wegmans, New England Biolabs, Needham Bank, Holland & Knight, UKG, FactSet, QIAGEN, Aetna, Eastern Bank, Monster, Access, Northland, HP Industrial Print, Marcus & Millichap, Shields Health, Point32Health, Akamai, Blueprint Medicines, Jenzabar, Sanofi, Dynamo Software, Husch Blackwell, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Imprivata, Tecomet, AspenTech, BXP, and Edelman Financial Engines.
About 9/11 Day
The 9/11 Day observance was founded in 2002, inspired by the spirit of unity, service and shared humanity that arose in the United States and spread around the world following the events of September 11, 2001. Today, the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance – also known as 9/11 Day – stands as a permanent tribute to those lost and injured, and those who rose in service in response to the tragedy. As the single largest day of service in the U.S., 9/11 Day reminds us that coming together in a spirit of kindness, no matter our differences, has the power to change lives and ultimately, our world.
About Boston Cares:
Boston Cares is a nonprofit volunteer mobilizer and Points of Light Global Network affiliate that partners with nonprofits and schools to expand their impact by mobilizing diverse people to collaboratively address the community’s critical needs. Last year, over 6,400 Boston Cares volunteers provided 20,000+ hours of service to 120 organizations. Learn more at www.bostoncares.org.
About Meals of Hope:
Meals of Hope is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit headquartered in Naples FL. The mission of Meals of Hope is “To inspire and empower communities to come together to end hunger.” We believe it is our job to feed people, and we achieve that through Meal Packing Events, mobile food pantries, and out of school programs. Visit us at http://www.mealsofhope.org or by phone at (239) 537-7775.
About The Greater Boston Food Bank
The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England and among the largest food banks in the country. As the food bank for Eastern Massachusetts, GBFB is feeding people in 190 towns across the region, distributing the equivalent of nearly 90 million meals through a network of 600 dedicated food distribution partners and programs. A member of the national Feeding America network, GBFB’s mission is to end hunger here. The organization remains committed to the belief that access to healthy food is a human right regardless of an individual’s circumstances. Through policy, partnerships, and providing free, nutritious, and culturally responsive food, GBFB is committed to addressing the root causes of food insecurity while promoting racial, gender and economic equity in food access. For more information and to help us help others, visit us at GBFB.org, follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@gr8bosfoodbank) and Instagram, or call us at 617-427-5200.
Help us #EndHungerHere
