Since 1775, some of the New England states have marked the third Monday in April as Patriots’ Day in honor of the Battle of Lexington and Concord that marked the beginning of the American War of Independence from Great Britain.
The new holiday began immediately following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, when President George W. Bush designated Sept. 14 as a “National Day of Prayer and Remembrance.”
The next month, Congress proposed, and the President approved, September 11 as Patriot Day, an annual call to remember the victims of the attack. In 2009, the day was symbolically joined with the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, and September 11 became known as Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance.
Honoring through serving. The September 11 attacks brought Americans together in a dramatic way. It is fitting that we continue to use that day to serve one another.
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that addresses poverty, education, environmental issues and other needs on the national and local levels. It does so through programs such as AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Learn and Serve America and others. AmeriCorp was expanded when the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act was signed into law in 2009. The CNCS has a search tool for locating volunteer opportunities in your community. You can filter your search by area of interest.
