Service Learning Director Anne Statham said the program has been receiving grants for the projects before the effort to turn Sept. 11 into the start of Day of Service.
The 9/11 Day of Service project is aimed toward remembering and reflecting on the Sept. 11 attacks. The week prior to the 10-year anniversary, students and other individuals involved in the program went to local schools to educate the children on the historical event.
The program collected non-perishable foods, health care items, clothing, games and other necessities to put in care packages and send to U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.
Currently over 70 care packages have been put together. Statham said there is no specific date set to send out these packages because there’s still a lot to do, but they are aiming for the end of September.
The project also organized a brunch on Sunday to remember Sept. 11 and recognized the individuals from Evansville who went to New York to provide their services.
Eleven individuals from Evansville were recognized and received plaques for their services. Among the indiviudals sat husband and wife, Jack and Mary Beth Weber.
At the time of Sept. 11, the Webers were working at USI as well as volunteering at the American Red Cross.
“Our children were so young and didn’t want us to leave,” Mary Beth said. “They feared we wouldn’t come back, making it difficult to leave.”
Mary Beth and Jack both were recruited to be a part of the disaster relief group. It was Mary Beth’s job to help families process the loss of loved ones and help them set up services to get them through the event.
Jack’s job was to greet families coming into the center and take them through the various stations there.
“USI was extremely gracious for letting us leave our classes to go help,” Jack said. “It shows their commitment to the community.”
After the brunch, the 9/11 Day of Service committee went to Fort Branch, Ind. for a remembrance parade and to assemble more care packages for our soldiers.
“In some places, kids didn’t realize people were on the planes,” Statham said. “We need to get out there, not to scare people, but to get to the heart of the problem.”
