For Tina Kiehn, an AmeriCorps NCCC member in Aurora, IL, the morning of September 11, 2001, started out as a day like any other. She was at her service site, helping a class of first graders adjust to the new school year. With summer just behind them, Kiehn and her team expected a normal daily schedule: classes, recess, homework help.

Then everything changed. Kiehn and her team had almost no time to absorb the shock of the day's events before they were called to serve at Ground Zero in New York City. Unsure what to expect, they were placed near the heart of the disaster, working on Pier 94.

When they arrived, they could smell and taste the smoke from the collapsed buildings. They felt the buzz of somber energy of the disaster workers who were there to help. And very soon, they were helping victims in an intimate and meaningful way.

Kiehn was assigned to provide resources on mental health counseling, helping connect survivors and the family members of the deceased with available services. Every day, she walked through metal detectors to sit down with her clients, which could take anywhere from 30 minutes to four hours per person. She often worked 12-14 hour days, and on particularly long shifts, she would crawl under the table to nap during her breaks.

Each client had a unique perspective and their own particular needs. Many didn't know how they were going to pay their bills. Others didn't know how to tell their children what exactly happened that day. Kiehn responded to their stories, day in and day out, for a month straight.

Her service term inevitably ended. But though her time with AmeriCorps was up, the experience had given her the drive and skills to help people in need. After her AmeriCorps NCCC graduation, Kiehn returned to Pier 94 to continue to serve.

And she's still serving others today. Her year with AmeriCorps inspired her to pursue a career in nonprofit management; she now works at Habitat for Humanity International in Charlotte, NC. Her experience in disaster zones gave her a valuable set of skills – Kiehn was appointed Habitat's operations coordinator during the Haiti earthquake response.

President Obama marks the eleventh anniversary of the September 11th attacks by remembering the innocent lives lost, and honoring the first responders and men and women in uniform who have served and sacrificed to keep our country safe.
 

Eleven years later and the tide has surely turned, at least in one very significant way. The anniversary of September 11th is no longer only a day known for a horrific tragedy on our national landscape. It is now also America’s largest day of charitable service and good deeds, in honor of my late brother and all those who perished that sunny September morning.
 

Olive Eckstein was making copies of her resume at a Kinko's in Queens on the morning of September 11, 2001. After serving for a year with AmeriCorps NCCC, she was looking for a job in her native New York.
 

For the last few weeks, we’ve been discussing how and why you should serve on the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance. Now with 9/11 Day just around the corner, it’s time to roll up your sleeves, get out there, and serve!
 

The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance arrives in less than a week, but service projects have already begun, and more will take place this weekend and continue through 9/11 Day. If you don't have plans and are looking to serve, we have an overview of how volunteers across the country will pay tribute to and honor the victims and heroes of September 11th across the nation.
 

September 11th can be a challenging topic for educators. For younger students who weren’t born or were very young in 2001, it’s history. For older students and teachers, it’s a vivid memory that may feel like a current event. Finding a way to make the day meaningful across the generations requires finesse and planning.
 

With the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance just around the corner, many Americans will begin to reflect on the inconceivable tragedy of 9/11 and the incredible unity and service that emerged from it. While some of us may get lost in the quantitative measures of this disaster, it is important to appreciate the individual victim, hero, or survivor, as each has a unique story and personal testimony.
 

The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance is less than one month away! Many communities and organizations around the nation are in the final stages of coordinating remembrance ceremonies and service activities to observe and reflect on the day.
 

As the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance draws closer, you may be making plans to join in with a service project of your own but then realize that you have no idea where to start. We can help you with that.
 

Originally presented in 2002 by 9/11 families and support networks, the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance honors the victims, survivors, and families of 9/11 through service-oriented programs. The 9/11 Day of Service has come to symbolize the culmination of our nation’s enduring unity, engaging millions of volunteers and communities each year.
 

As we look ahead to this year’s September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance, let’s step back and consider why service is such an important part of this day.
 

This past weekend, hundreds of thousands of Americans participated in service projects to pay tribute to the victims and heroes of 9/11. In all 50 states, volunteers turned out to paint and refurbish homes, run food drives, spruce up schools, reclaim neighborhoods, and support and honor veterans, soldiers, military families, and first responders.
 

The Service News Digest is a regular feature on the Serve.Gov blog. In this series, we showcase news highlights that feature national service and Corporation for National and Community Service programs. In this edition, take a look at some of the great stories that feature September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance activities.
 

To honor those we lost in the worst attack ever on our soil, September 11th has been designated as a National Day of Service and Remembrance, and like many Americans across the country this weekend, the First Family paid their respects by joining a service project.
 

As a native of Long Island, the attacks of September 11th, 2001 hit close to home for Tracy Connelly. Loved ones working in the World Trade Center were missing. Family members responding to the attacks were injured. For 36 hours, she had no idea where her father was. Days after the events, Connelly learned of friends' deaths by passing their memorials in Penn Station.
 

While many people scrambled to escape through the Holland Tunnel from Manhattan to Hoboken after the 9/11 attacks, a few students and their teacher from Hoboken High School traveled to Ground Zero to help.
 

“A volunteer called to alert us about the first plane. We went into the classroom, which had the only TV and turned it to a local news channel. After adjusting the rabbit ears on top, we all witnessed the second plane hit just a few moments later. I think we all had the same reaction and that was pure terror."
 

In the wake of chaos and tragedy following the September 11th tragedy, AmeriCorps members from the National Preparedness and Response Corps of the Atlanta Red Cross were deployed to Ground Zero. Among those who served was then-70-year-old Donald Trantow.
 

With the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001, approaching, memories of the tragic events that occurred that day feel particularly powerful. For most Americans, the anniversary will always be full of history, emotion, and reflection but 10 years later it's become a symbol for the spirit of unity that America demonstrated in the aftermath.
 

For most Americans, September 11th is a day of complicated emotions. It may recall painful memories and heart-breaking images. But it should also remind us of the patriotic pride and resilient American spirit that shined that day.
 

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Organizations across the country will honor those who were lost and those who rose in service in response to the tragedy by participating in the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance.
 

Last week, the Corporation for National and Community Service participated in a historic moment when acting CEO, Robert Velasco II joined Members of Congress, service leaders, and 9/11 Day of Service partners on Capitol Hill where the National 9/11 Flag made a stop on its nationwide tour.
 

Earlier today, First Lady Michelle Obama sent this message to the White House email list about the September 11th National Day of Service. Tomorrow the First Lady will be participating in a service event with Mission Serve, a civilian-military service initiative, to help renovate a community center at a retirement community for veterans. Visit Serve.govto get involved and find service opportunities in your area.
 

More than 1,800 George Washington University students have signed up to participate in the university’s 2010 Freshman Day of Service, which for the second year will take place on and in conjunction with National Day of Service and Remembrance, September 11.
 

Are you willing to be an online ambassador for volunteerism? Will you leverage your social networks to encourage your readers, followers and friends to memorialize the victims, survivors and heroes of the attacks of 9/11 through A National Day of Service and Remembrance?
 

Somewhere along the way, we all face tragedy in our lives. Few are spared. People handle tragedies, though, in different ways. I often marveled at but was somewhat puzzled by those who found ways to turn personal tragedy into something positive. But now I understand.
 

The Corporation for National and Community Service, in partnership with My Good Deed, Scholastic, and the Points of Light Institute are announcing the release of comprehensive education resources realted to 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance to teachers and mentors. These tools will help educators and youth leaders provide constructive lessons on 9/11 and inspire their students to engage in community and volunteer service in observance of 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance each year.
 

On September 11th, 2001 I was sitting in my 9:00 am class when the president of my college suddenly opened the classroom door to inform us that two planes had hit the World Trade Center and a third had crashed into the Pentagon. It was my third week of college, and I had just completed ten months of service with AmeriCorps NCCC, based out of the Pacific Region campus.
 

The Corporation for National and Community Service along with partners My Good Deed .Org, The Hands On Network and The 9/11 Memorial will lead the observance of the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance. As part of the United We Serve initiative, we hope to engage Americans across the nation in committing themselves to serve by engaging in a service project or getting involved in a cause as a way to pay tribute to the victims and heroes of 9/11. This is also an excellent way to rekindle the remarkable spirit of unity and compassion that arose following the attacks.