NORMAL, IL — Illinois State University marked the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance with a campus volunteer effort that sent students across Bloomington-Normal to support local nonprofits and community spaces. More than 100 Redbirds took part in “Redbirds Remember: Saturday of Service for 9/11 Day,” a program organized by the Center for Civic Engagement.
The event brought together students, staff and campus partners for projects centered on environmental stewardship and hunger relief. It began with a welcome ceremony and reflection on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks before volunteers headed to service sites around the community.
Campus ceremony set the tone before volunteers left for service sites
The morning opened on campus with speakers who spoke about remembrance, unity and the continuing value of service. Illinois State University President Aondover Tarhule said the years since 9/11 have shown that service and justice outlast acts of terror and violence. He also said everyday acts of kindness can help replace despair with hope.
Joining him at the ceremony were state Rep. Sharon Chung, Veterans and Military Services Coordinator Patrick McGuire, CCE AmeriCorps graduate assistant Bailey Butler and CCE Director Katy Strzepek. Strzepek led a moment of silence and recognized first responders who were present. She also told students that remembering the day means considering how the country can come together after tragedy.
Volunteers spread across Bloomington-Normal to help nonprofits and green spaces
After the opening program, students were assigned to a range of sites across the area. Those locations included the Ecology Action Center, Midwest Food Bank, Miller Park Zoo, Master Gardeners and Naturalists, School Street Food Pantry and the university’s Horticulture Center. The projects gave students a chance to help with both community needs and local environmental work.
At Miller Park Zoo, volunteers mulched, weeded, planted and prepared the grounds for upcoming events. Other teams worked in gardens, food programs and environmental spaces, showing how the university effort connected service with practical needs in the community. The service day was designed to bring students into contact with local organizations that rely on volunteer help throughout the year.
Food bank volunteers packed meals to support distribution efforts
One of the busiest assignments took place at Midwest Food Bank, where students helped pack food for distribution. Felise Villarreal, a psychology major, said her group of 13 filled more than 800 bags of buckwheat. She also learned more about the grain-like seed, which can be used in dishes such as porridge.
Villarreal said the experience gave her a chance to meet new people and work on a task that would be useful to others. She said she would be willing to do it again. The food bank project tied the university’s service day to hunger relief, one of the central goals of the broader volunteer effort.
Students said the day connected service with remembrance and community
Many of the volunteers said the service day gave them a way to reflect on 9/11 while also helping neighbors. Freshman Allie Kerwin, taking part with a group of Science IS-U scholars, said it was her first experience volunteering with the Center for Civic Engagement. She said even small efforts can help honor those who served and those who died on 9/11.
Freshman Oliver Blenniss, who volunteered at Miller Park Zoo, said the experience helped him learn about local resources while working alongside others. He said he did not know the zoo was there before the event, and that he appreciated the sense of unity that came from helping together. Their comments echoed the event’s larger message about service as a shared community act.
Alternative Breaks and TRIO students focus on local partnerships
Other student groups used the day to build ties with Bloomington-Normal organizations. Sage Shoaf, a member of the Alternative Breaks executive board, said the group wanted to strengthen its connection with the community through service. Her team worked at Illinois Art Station removing invasive species from a garden.
TRIO students also took part by partnering with the Ecology Action Center to clean up the natural environment in south Bloomington. Senior marketing major Zaurielle Mays said the experience reinforced her appreciation for nature and for the value of helping the community. She said she believes people need to come together to make the world better for everyone.
National 9/11 Day effort brings grant support and millions of volunteers
The Illinois State event was co-sponsored by the Student Veterans of America at Illinois State University and backed by grant funding from 9/11 Day, AmeriCorps and the Popeyes Foundation. The nonprofit 9/11 Day, founded in 2002, helped lead the effort to create September 11 as a federally recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance.
According to the organization, the observance has become one of the largest annual volunteer efforts in the country, drawing millions of people into acts of service each year. At Illinois State, the scale was smaller but still significant: 113 students spent the day working at sites that support food access, environmental care and neighborhood improvement across the Bloomington-Normal area.