9 Ways to Virtually Give Back and Commemorate 9/11

Today marks a day we all remember. This September 11^th, we honor those who have fallen, those who have served and those who continue to risk their lives for the betterment of our communities. Help honor the eleventh anniversary of 9/11 by doing your part, whether online or off.

Below please see nine ways to easily and virtually give back and commemorate the value of service this September 11^th.

1.  Pledge a Good Deed and Join the 9/11 Day Movement: The National September 11 Memorial & Museum allows you to dedicate service to a victim of the attacks using their “MyGoodDeed” application. Visit the 9/11 Memorial Guide to see the names of the victims and brief biographical information including hometown and last place of residence. Click “Find a Name on the Memorial,” and enter details important to you and your group to find an individual with a specific connection to your community. You can also search for victims names while on the 911day.org website and pledge your good deed or service in honor of their memory.

2.  Provide Support to Our Wounded Warriors:The Wounded Warrior Project’s “My Care Crew” makes it easier for friends, family, and community to assist Wounded Warriors and their families as they transition home through an easy-to-use, private online community powered by Lotsa Helping Hands. Family or friends, known as Crew Coordinators, list needs of the family such as meal delivery, transportation, shopping, or household chores. Approved family, friends, and community volunteers then sign-up online to help with specific tasks and a virtual calendar tracks their actions. Email notifications are sent to remind volunteers about upcoming duties.

3.  Download the ActionAmerica App: Using your smartphone, you can download the ActionAmerica app to receive daily ideas and suggestions for giving back to your community. In commemoration of the September 11^th attacks, you can post a photo of you showing your “”High 11” and national pride, or donate to a  list of credible charitable organizations giving back to the victims of 9/11. Action America is a joint effort among corporations, individuals and non-profit organizations committed to both honoring those affected by the events of September 11th and unifying the country through positive action.

4.  Sign up to Give Blood: Okay, so this isn’t totally virtual. But blood donations are down more than 10 percent across the country resulting in 50,000 fewer pints of blood than expected. Sign up online to give blood with the American Red Cross today.

5.  Snoball Your Donations: Through snoball.com, you can create momentum around (and set the parameters for) donations benefiting your favorite charities. For example, a Snoball may be defined as: “Every time the Dallas Cowboys win, I will pledge $1 to the American Red Cross,” or “When I check-in at my favorite coffee shop using Foursquare, I will pledge $2 to the local area food bank.” The specific event, donation amount and time interval are defined by you!

6.  Donate Your Sky Miles to the Salvation Army: You can use your miles to make a real difference in someone’s life. With Delta’s SkyWish program and United Airlines Charity Miles Program, you can donate miles to The Salvation Army and join in supporting their worthwhile programs, such as moving personnel quickly in time of disaster, or providing travel for those in need of emergency medical care or who have social service emergencies outside of their area.

7.  Surf Serve.gov: United We Serve is a nationwide service initiative that helps meet growing social needs resulting from the economic downturn. Serve.gov is your online resource for not only finding volunteer opportunities in your community, but also creating your own. Use Serve.gov to help you do your part. America’s foundation will be built one community at a time –- and it starts with you.

8. Send a Donation to Support Children Affected by 9/11: Tuesday’s Children creates programs that bring together children and families whose lives have been dramatically altered by the acts of 9/11. The organization focuses on mentoring, counseling and family engagement. You can donate and support the organization here.

9.  Do Something…Dare We Say…In Person!: While there are many things you can do virtually to show your appreciate for those that risk their lives everyday for the benefit of other, don’t ever forget the value of physically going out and giving back. Sometimes it’s worth turning off that laptop or silencing that cellphone to go be a global citizen in your homes and communities.

What do you think? What else can you do today to commemorate the value of service?