President Barack Obama Signs Legislation to Establish Anniversary of 9/11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- President Barack Obama today signed into law the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which for the first time includes federal authorization to establish September 11 as an annually recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance.

"Today President Barack Obama created a historic, enduring and compassionate legacy that truly honors the 9/11 victims and their families, first responders and rescue and recovery workers, the soldiers who have take up arms to defend our freedom and safety, and the many volunteers who spontaneously contributed their efforts in the immediate aftermath of 9/11," said David Paine, founder and president of MyGoodDeed.org, the nonprofit group that led a seven-year campaign to formally establish 9/11 as an annually recognized day of service and remembrance. "There isn't a better or more fitting way to remember 9/11 than for all of us as Americans to voluntarily set aside time on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks to help others in need."

"As a 9/11 family member, I cannot think of more inspiring, appropriate and constructive tribute to my late brother and all those who perished, were injured or rose in service - to rekindle at least for one day each year the remarkable spirit of compassion and service that unified our country," said MyGoodDeed.org co-founder and vice president Jay S. Winuk, whose younger brother Glenn J. Winuk, an attorney, volunteer firefighter and EMT, died in the line of duty in the collapse of the World Trade Center. "This groundbreaking national service legislation will greatly benefit the nation in so many meaningful ways as we face these challenging times."

Paine and Winuk were among a select group of service sector leaders, government officials and other dignitaries who attended today's ceremony at the SEED School in Washington, D.C. to witness President Obama signing into law the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.

A New Catalyst for Volunteerism

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) and U. S. Rep. Peter King (R-Long Island) both worked closely with the sponsors of the Serve America Act in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives to draft and include language to establish 9/11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance.

"I could not be more proud to work to pass this important provision," said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), who joined with U.S. Representative Peter King (R-Long Island) in first proposing to Congress back in 2004 that 9/11 should be designated a national day of service. "September 11 should not only be a day for mourning - it should be a day to think about our neighbors, our community and our country. We can take a tragic day in our nation's history and turn it into a force for good."

"I have been active in seeking a service day for years," said Rep. King. "America came together in the aftermath of 9/11, reminding us what it truly means to be part of this great nation. By making 9/11 a national day of service, that same spirit of giving will continue in a day of remembrance, unity and selflessness."

"We greatly appreciate Senator Schumer's, Congressman King's and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's tireless dedication to this cause, as well as the support we received from Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and Representatives George Miller (D-Calif.), Carolyn McCarthy (D-Calif.) and Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), all of whom joined together to include the 9/11 Day of Service in this important national service legislation," Winuk said.

Under the new law, the anniversary of 9/11 would be observed annually in ways somewhat similar to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, although it intentionally will not be a federal holiday. "We do not wish to see it ever become a state or federally designated day off," said Paine. "Instead, we hope that individuals, businesses and organizations will be inspired on their own to voluntarily engage in community service, perform good deeds of any nature, and participate in other private and organized activities in remembrance of the events of 9/11."

To support this observance, the new legislation authorizes the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees federal national service programs, to make grants and provide other assistance to community nonprofits and other groups that want to organize 9/11 service and remembrance activities.

"Our hope is to organize the single largest day of service in U.S. history on the 10th anniversary of 9/11," said Paine, referring to September 11, 2011, just two and a half years away. "Though millions of people already support the MyGoodDeed.org initiative by engaging in charitable service each 9/11, we realize it will take some time to build widespread awareness of this formal observance. We are very are confident, however, that the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance will ultimately play a very significant role in energizing volunteerism in America, while also bringing a sense of national healing to one of the worst human tragedies in U.S. history."

MyGoodDeed.org is a 501c(3) charitable organization based in New York. Each year MyGoodDeed.org organizes activities that encourage individuals and organizations to set aside time on the anniversary of 9/11 to perform simple acts of good deeds and service that help others in need. Since the initiative began as a grassroots movement, more than one million people have visited the MyGoodDeed.org Web site, from all 50 states and 170 countries, with many posting their plans to perform good deeds and service projects on 9/11.

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U.S. Senate Joins House of Representatives in Passing Legislation to Establish September 11 as a National Day of Service

/PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Senate today joined with the U.S. House of Representatives in passing historic national service legislation (ServeAmerica Act S. 277) which, like the House GIVE Act, includes a key provision that would formally authorize federal support for establishing the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks on America as a "National Day of Service and Remembrance." U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) worked closely with U.S. Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), co-sponsors of the ServeAmerica Act, to include language supporting the 9/11 Day of Service observance, a program long advocated by the MyGoodDeed.org organization. The 9/11 nonprofit organization was founded in 2002 with widespread support from the 9/11 family community to establish September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance.

Now passed, the House and Senate bills will proceed to conference to reconcile any differences. A final bill approved by both houses of Congress is expected to be delivered to President Barack Obama for his signature within days.

"For more than seven years, we have worked along with many 9/11 families, first responders, volunteers, and rescue and recovery workers with the hope that one day we would be able to formally establish 9/11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance," said David Paine, founder and president of MyGoodDeed.org. "Today we stand just a pen stroke away from creating a historic observance that ensures that the lives of those lost are forever remembered in a constructive and compassionate way by millions of people for generations to come."

"I could not be more proud to work to pass this important provision," said Senator Schumer in a press release (http://schumer.senate.gov/new_website/record.cfm?id=309892). "September 11 should not only be a day for mourning - it should be a day to think about our neighbors, our community and our country. We can take a tragic day in our nation's history and turn it into a force for good."

A New Catalyst for Volunteerism

Under both the House and Senate bills, the anniversary of 9/11 would annually be observed in ways similar to Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Individuals, employees, students, members of organizations and others would voluntarily engage in service and remembrance through acts of good deeds, personal and organized service activities and reflection. However, the anniversary of 9/11 would intentionally not be a federal holiday - rather than a traditional day off, it would be a day devoted to community service and other acts of goodwill.

"We are confident that establishing 9/11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance will play a major role in further energizing volunteerism in America, while also bringing a sense of national healing to one of the worst human tragedies in U.S. history," said Jay S. Winuk, co-founder and vice president of MyGoodDeed.org, and brother of attorney and 9/11 rescuer Glenn J. Winuk, a firefighter/EMT who perished when the World Trade Center's South Tower collapsed.

MyGoodDeed.org, a 501c(3) charitable organization based in New York, has lead the seven-year effort to establish 9/11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. Each year MyGoodDeed.org organizes activities that encourage individuals and organizations to set aside time on the anniversary of 9/11 to perform simple acts of good deeds and service that help others in need. Along with Senator Schumer, U.S. Representative Peter King (R-NY) has been a vocal advocate of the Day of Service initiative and serves as co-chair of MyGoodDeed's Congressional Advisory Board.

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Volunteer or Else!

National Security by a Civilian Force? Volunteer America or else?

House Readies Passage of Volunteerism Bill Critics Call Pricey, Forced Service

The House of Representatives is expected to pass a measure Wednesday hailed by some as the most sweeping reform of nationally-backed volunteer programs since AmeriCorps but blasted by a few as expensive indoctrination and forced advocacy......http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/18/house-readies-passage-volunteerism-critics-pricey-forced-service/

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