Illinois State University’s Center for Civic Engagement on Saturday hosted Redbirds Remember, a day of service in memory of 9/11, including a ceremony and volunteer work.
“Having actually lived through that time, it was really a time of yeah there’s a lot of bad stuff in the world, but there’s a lot of good too, and when we work together, that’s really the best of humanity,” said School Street Food Pantry manager Elaine Capek.
Katy Strzepek, director of the Center for Civic Engagement [CCE], said Saturday's event aimed to unite people over the tragedy while giving students an opportunity to make a positive impact in their community.
Over 110 students volunteered across eight different volunteer sites focused on hunger relief, emergency management, and the environment, including the Midwest Food Bank, ISU Horticulture Center, Ecology Action Center, Town of Normal Parks and Recreation, Master Gardeners, School Street Food Pantry and Miller Park Zoo.
“It’s nice to give some students a way to start off the school year with service and start off with making new friends,” Strzepek said. “Service is always a nice way to help students learn about our community and all the resources that we have”
The event began with a ceremony, featuring speakers Strzepek, ISU President Aondover Tarhule, ISU Coordinator of Veterans and Military Services Patrick McGuire, state Rep. Sharon Chung and CCE Service Event AmeriCorps Graduate Assistant Bailey Butler.
“While we cannot change the events of Sept. 11, we can choose to amplify the legacy they leave behind. By serving one another, we honor those we remember with not only our words, but also our actions and our hearts,” Tarhule said.
The event was co-sponsored by ISU's Student Veterans of America and supported by grant funding from 9/11 Day, AmeriCorps, and the Popeyes Foundation. Rachel Waring-Sparks, assistant director of assessment at the CCE, wrote the successful grant application for ISU's day of service, connecting it to the long-running national day of service.
Sophomore Ecology Action Center volunteer Dionna Gunn’s experience seeing 9/11 documentaries and learning about the impact of 9/11 led her to step up and take part in the event.
“This is a very well orchestrated event. I’m just glad to hear from politicians and the president,” Gunn said. “I thought that was a great way to inform us about 9/11.”
One of the many volunteer opportunities was with the School Street Food Pantry. Pantry volunteers portioned and packed rice for struggling college students in the Bloomington-Normal area.
Capek said volunteers are the “lifeblood” of the pantry and that these meals make a huge difference in people's lives.
“There’s enough stress in college anyways, so if we can eliminate even just a little bit of that money stress, that’s what we’re here for,” Capek said.
Sophomore pantry volunteer Sophia Spanos said enjoys the genuine connections she makes with people while volunteering, and School Street Food Pantry was no exception.
“We are always stronger together as a community. I feel like right now our country is so divided, and a lot of people don’t realize the importance of just working together and getting along even though you have different perspectives and views, and you come from different backgrounds,” Spanos said.
School Street Food Pantry is open for pickups every Friday from 4-6 p.m. Any college student in the area can pick up free of charge. Food is sourced from donations and food banks in the area.
“It was neat for me to show the students that the pantry is really close. I think some students don’t realize that the School Street Pantry is just right here, right by Milner,” Strzepek said.
Sprucing up Miller Park Zoo
Another available volunteer opportunity was landscaping at Miller Park Zoo.
“I think everybody is enjoying themselves. I’m seeing a lot of smiles,” Zoo Director Paul Bouseman said. “We’re getting a lot done, and I anticipate that we are going to get everything done that we set out to do.”
Freshman zoo volunteer Brandon Davis’ love for animals led him to Miller Park. Freshman zoo volunteer James Ronning's childhood memories for the zoo with his family left him with a soft spot for helping out smaller zoos. Sophomore zoo volunteer Michael Housour was drawn to the yardwork aspect of the day.
“Volunteers are so important to Miller Park Zoo,” Bouseman said. "They really help us engage our community in our mission. We get to have great interactions and fun with the students and our other volunteers while we’re doing work that just helps the zoo.”
25 years later
This year’s Sept. 11 was the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
“To me I can remember it like it was yesterday, so it’s kind of surprising to me that it was 25 years ago,” Strzepek said.
Butler, the CCE graduate assistant, said what stands out to her with this anniversary is the stark difference between generations and their understanding of the attacks.
“In the new generation, a lot of them just have seen it on the screen. They have seen videos over and over, and you can understand some of the impact by seeing [that], but I think it’s really hard to truly imagine until you speak to someone who was there,” Butler said.
According to Butler, this day of service is a perfect step for students to take towards personal empathy for the tragedy.
“When you are alive and you witness something personally, it does have a different impact on you than it does when you are younger, so I think it’s a great way for people who were here during that time to talk to students and people who were not here because I think talking across generations is just a wonderful way to learn,” Strzepek said.
Strzepek was a mom of her current oldest and 1-year-old at the time when the World Trade Center was attacked.
“I called my grandmother and she said that, ‘Katy, you cannot live in fear. You have to lean into community,’ and that’s what people have done in times of crisis,” Strzepek said.
“We know many of our students weren’t alive when 9/11 happened, and so [this event] is a way of teaching about history and also moving forward hopefully for a more positive world,” Strzepek said.
Strzepek hopes this event will inspire participants to dedicate future time to volunteer work.
