Friends,
September 11, 2001 is remembered in the hearts of Americans as a day of national tragedy. But, that is not the only way it is remembered. The terrorist attacks also created a time of unparalleled national unity.
The power of that unity has become The 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, a day for people to rekindle the energy, passion and connectivity experienced after the attacks. The day is spearheaded by MyGoodDeed.org, in partnership with HandsOn Network, The Corporation for National and Community Service, and the 9/11 Memorial.
The impact created from this one unified day of service cannot be underestimated. Last year 5 million Americans commemorated 9/11 by volunteering. I encourage you to take some time on this nationwide day of remembrance and make positive change happen in your community. You can locate a charitable cause or volunteer project by logging on to 911dayofservice.org.
Through 911dayofservice.org’s unique web hub, you can connect with other Americans who want to give back and become part of a powerful and positive legacy. The 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance: make it your way of showing how a day that began with tragedy brought a country closer together.
Yours in service,
Michelle Nunn
CEO, Points of Light Institute
In the ensuing months, HandsOn Network also launched HandsOn Gulf Coast and 
Currently, 13 HandsOn Action Centers serve the oil spill-impacted states of Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana. Looking ahead, HandsOn Network will partner with these local affiliates to recruit and train 10,000 volunteer leaders and mobilize 50,000 volunteers to devote an expected 1 million hours to support the region’s environmental and economic recovery. In addition, HandsOn will conduct a series of on-the-ground and virtual “boot camps” to train volunteer leaders to manage others and develop projects to meet community-specific needs, such as creating job re-training and job search clinics; restoring parks and open spaces; and assisting small businesses in operations, marketing and finance to recoup losses or improve business sustainability. To sign up and Get HandsOn for the boot camps, please visit www.handsonnetwork.org/nola2011.
As some of you may know, HandsOn Network and Fidelity Investments are partnering in an amazing effort that is revitalizing the learning environments in 11 middle schools across the nation. In locations ranging from Nashua, NH, to Albuquerque, NM, Fidelity employees are working with HandsOn action centers and partners on local Transformation Days, executing projects chosen with each school’s teachers, students, parents, and community.
The senator’s presence had particular resonance, since he and the late Senator Ted Kennedy were instrumental in passing the bipartisan Serve America Act last year. The Act is the greatest expansion of national service in many decades. Last year Points of Light Institute honored both senators with the Points of Light Lifetime of Leadership Award for Volunteerism and Service, recognizing their commitment and leadership in creating civic change through service. “Seeing individuals like you, working hard in the community…is what we thought would happen when we passed the Serve America Act,” said Senator Hatch to the volunteers.
Points of Light Institute and I were honored last week with the inaugural Global Ambassador of Youth Award by Usher’s New Look Foundation. The award honors our efforts over the years in inspiring and mobilizing young people to transform their communities. As Usher said, we “share New Look’s understanding that youth are not merely leaders in waiting; they are ready to achieve greatness today.”
That evening, at our Inspiration gala, remarkable people, ranging from seven years old to 80-plus, were honored for their extraordinary achievements. Our host John Oliver of the Daily Show gave us humor intermixed with inspiration from Broadway acts. The courageous Ruby Dee, who was recognized for a lifetime of fighting for social justice, said, “Many of us today are keepers of the flame in the torch that burns in the hand of the Statue of Liberty, the spirit of activism and service. A person not only can, but MUST make a difference”.
The 
ther major sponsors included People. Power. Change. Sponsor Shinnyo-en Foundation, Official Business Track Sponsor JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Official Service Leader Sponsor University of Phoenix. Presenting Sponsors were Bloomberg and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP; Gold Sponsors were UPS, Bank of America, Delta Air Lines and Pfizer. Dozens of additional supporters made the Conference possible.
The Volunteering in America report mentions one of our own 
In just a few short weeks we will be creating a virtual civic hub of thousands in New York City at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, the world’s largest gathering of volunteer and service leaders from the nonprofit, government and corporate sectors. From CEO roundtables to forums on social media for social good, from Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to co-founder , attendees will find inspiration, thought leadership, and solutions, not to mention world-class entertainment at our gala evening event (after all, this is the home of Broadway!). We hope you can join us June 28-30! The conference Web site is 
The numbers of volunteers mobilized by HandsOn Nashville for flood recovery continue to astound. In one month almost 16,000 volunteers have donated more than 66,000 hours, which are worth a projected $1.4 million. The action center has coordinated 881 project sites in that time. On May 26, The Tennessean, Nashville’s major newspaper, published a story headlined “HandsOn Nashville Rises to Challenge” about the tremendous efforts. Please click 
