September 11th, the National Day of Service and Remembrance, began in 2002 by family members who lost loved ones on 09/11/2001, and was established into law in 2009. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service at serve.gov, “This year, more than 1 million Americans are expected to serve in their communities in honor of 9/11. Service projects will range from food drives and home repairs to neighborhood cleanups and disaster preparation activities.”
In our area, many volunteers will be at Catholic Charities programs. Clear Channel Radio has selected Our Daily Bread, Baltimore’s hot meal program, as one of their partners for the National Day of Service and Remembrance. Their DJs have already volunteered one day at the program and have another volunteer day scheduled in September. The DJs will be video blogging about their experiences. Maryland Today, a public show that highlights area non-profits, will air an interview with Catholic Charities Executive Director, Bill McCarthy, on September 3. Maryland Today airs on WPOC Sunday’s at 7:30am , WZFT at 7am, and WQSR at 8am. Public service announcements are currently running on these channels promoting volunteering.
Learn more about volunteering at Catholic Charities.
The Our Daily Bread meal program is located in the Our Daily Bread Employment Center, the nation’s first comprehensive resource center for the poor. The Center provides programs which support moving toward self-sufficiency. The programs include Christopher Place Employment Academy, a residential employment program for formerly homeless men, and Our Daily Bread Employment Services, a job readiness and job placement program.
- 262,841 meals were served in 2010 and the number is expected to grow to 280,000 this year.
- 17,675 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were served in 2010.
- Forty-four (44) individuals in 2010 were placed in jobs with an average wage of $9.47 an hour.
- 1.5 million volunteer hours have been contributed during the past 30 years.
- 450 volunteers work regularly at Our Daily Bread.
Catholic Charities is Maryland’s leading private provider of human services, welcoming and serving people of all faiths and races. Rooted in faith, the Agency has a rich history of effective programs that significantly improve the lives of children and families, seniors, the disadvantaged, and people with developmental disabilities. Catholic Charities serves over 160,000 individuals each year, with the help of more than 17,000 volunteers.