Charlotte Volunteers Pack 210,000 Meals to Honor 25 Years Since 9/11

For many Americans, September 11 is a day to remember.

In Charlotte this year, it will also be a day to serve.

On Friday, Sept. 11, volunteers will gather at The Revelry North End with an ambitious goal: help pack 210,000 meals for Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina.

The effort is part of 9/11 Day, a national movement that transforms the anniversary of the September 11 attacks into a day of volunteerism and community service.

25 Years Later, A Different Way to Remember

This year's event carries particular significance.

Thursday marks 25 years since the September 11 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people and forever changed the country.

9/11 Day was founded by people directly affected by the attacks, including family members of victims, with the idea that one of America's darkest days could also inspire millions of acts of kindness and service.

That effort eventually helped establish September 11 as a federally recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance.

Now, thousands of volunteers participate in service projects across the country each year.

Charlotte's contribution will focus on something affecting families right here in our region: hunger.

210,000 Meals Staying Close to Home

The meals packed by Charlotte volunteers will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, which works with hundreds of partner agencies to provide food assistance throughout the Charlotte region.

The timing also coincides with Hunger Action Month, a nationwide effort each September to raise awareness about food insecurity.

That makes Friday's event more than a symbolic act.

Every box packed in Charlotte becomes part of an effort to put food into the hands of neighbors who need it.

What Volunteering Looks Like

Putting together 210,000 meals requires more than people standing around a table filling boxes.

Volunteers help keep packing lines supplied, move completed boxes, welcome participants, distribute materials and handle the behind-the-scenes work needed to keep thousands of meals moving through the operation.

No previous experience is required for the event-support roles. Volunteers receive instructions on site.

It's a simple commitment that becomes much bigger when hundreds of people make it together.

One volunteer packs a box. Hundreds of volunteers can help feed a community.

From Remembrance to Impact

There will be plenty of ways to commemorate the 25th anniversary of September 11.

Charlotte's meal-packing effort represents one particularly powerful approach: remembering the people who were lost by helping people who are here today.

For a few hours Friday, Charlotte residents from different companies, neighborhoods and backgrounds will work toward the same number:

210,000 meals.

And when the tables are cleared, those meals will continue moving through the community long after the anniversary has passed.

That's what impact looks like.

💛 GET INVOLVED

Interested in volunteering or learning more about the September 11 National Day of Service?

View Charlotte's 9/11 Day volunteer opportunities →

Learn more about 9/11 Day

Learn more about Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina