SPONSORED CONTENT -- (StatePoint) Each year, September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance is a chance to turn a dark day in the nation’s history into a day of doing good. Now federally recognized, it’s become the largest American day of service, honoring all those who demonstrated extraordinary compassion and courage in the aftermath of the attacks.

Unfortunately, formal volunteerism is on the decline. According to the U.S. Census and AmeriCorps’ “Volunteering in America” report, volunteerism in the United States went down seven percentage points from 2019 to 2023, the largest change since the agencies began collecting data in 2002.

“Volunteers are critical to helping communities thrive, just like they were after 9/11, making this a great day to get involved and start a habit of volunteering,” says Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO of Points of Light, a global nonprofit dedicated to inspiring, equipping and mobilizing people to take action that changes the world.

Points of Light recognizes ordinary people doing extraordinary things to strengthen communities with its Daily Point of Light Award. To boost volunteer engagement this 9/11 Day and beyond, the organization is sharing the story of an honoree who is also  a volunteer first responder, along with information about how you can give back to your community.

Inspired from the Start

While watching the events of 9/11 unfold, 10-year-old Chris Zelenka begged his mother to allow him to travel into the city so he could help the countless first responders he saw on TV. Seeing so many people working together that day is what sparked his passion for serving others, and led him to join the South Spring Valley Fire Department when he was 16. Seventeen years after becoming a volunteer firefighter, Zelenka is still tirelessly serving his community. Along with his firefighting duties, he serves as the department’s financial secretary and co-lead of its fundraising committee. Over the past several years, he has also worked with nonprofits ranging from Wreaths Across America to Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity and the Bergen County LGBTQ+ Alliance.

Boosting Volunteerism

The events of 9/11 bonded people and communities, and in the days, weeks and months following the attacks, volunteerism surged as people learned what they were capable of accomplishing when they worked together. Points of Light, which is committed to increasing the rate of volunteering, believes that a day of service like 9/11 Day can serve a kick-off to a life of civic engagement.

Zelenka’s words of wisdom for those who want to get involved but don’t know where to start: “Do what you can. That’s the biggest thing. That could be a donation once in a while. That could be giving blood. Obviously more is great, but I think sometimes people think they have to do so much. You can do little things and really make a big change, and it plays a bigger role into the grander scheme of things.”

Take Action

Plan your day of service now by visiting Points of Light’s Engage platform at pointsoflight.org/volunteer to search a database of hundreds of thousands of in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities. And remember that beyond volunteering, there are many ways to engage your community on 9/11 Day, from buying from businesses that support first responders to thanking those who work in service roles.

“On this day of remembrance, we pay tribute to those touched by the tragedies of this day, and by coming together as a community, we keep hope for a better future alive,” says Sirangelo.

Photo Credit: (c) PeopleImages / iStock via Getty Images Plus