WASHINGTON — It's been 23 years since the 9/11 terrorist attack, and many now mark the anniversary by participating in the National Day of Service.
In DC, more than 1,200 volunteers are meeting up at Dock5 at Union Market to pack 450,000 meals for the Capital Area Food Bank.
The group 9/11 Day is organizing meal pack events in 21 cities across the country -- with the goal of providing 9 million meals to families who need them.
"[The founders'] mission 23 years ago is the same as it is today, and that is to turn this day of remembrance into a day of doing good and giving back to the community," said Dustin Speakman, the National Program Manager for 9/11 Day.
After an opening ceremony featuring Sophia Bush, multiple shifts of organizers will work to pack up jambalaya from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The group said it's the fourth year the District is hosting one of these meal pack events, and they hope to continue.
"Nobody knew what was happening...It was a scary time," Speakman recalled, thinking about the attack. "Working for 9/11 Day...all year long, I think about 9/11 and the tragedy, and how we've turned that day of tragedy into a day of doing good."
He said this meal packing day has become the largest service day of its kind in the U.S.
According to Feeding America, more than 44 million Americans, including one in five children, are food insecure in the United States, so there is a huge need across the country.
Now, organizers hope this spirit of unity extends beyond this one day honoring 9/11 victims and survivors.
"That's really what the families wanted was to recapture that spirit of coming-togetherness that happened on 9/12 when everybody forgot their differences and came together and did good things," Speakman said. "People were going through and putting money in people's parking meters as a way to give back and do good, and so we need to forget our differences especially now and come together."
The DC Meal Pack for 9/11 Day is being co-hosted locally by 9/11 Day, AmeriCorps, Capital Area Food Bank, Serve DC, EDENS, Voices for National Service and With Honor, with support from American Connection Corps. Food suppliers and meal packing logistics are being provided by US Hunger.
Other organizations participating are: Agile Defense, Etsy, Healthcare Distribution Alliance, Wegmans, CommonWealth Partners, Fannie Mae, Husch Blackwell, Morgan Lewis, DiamondRock Hospitality, RIVA Solutions, CareFirst, DLH Corporation, Amentum, LEO A DALY, Systems Planning & Analysis, Breakthru Beverage Group, Pepco Holdings, Hines, Axonius, Fidelity, Merrill, Transcarent, WTW, Holland & Knight, Target, Electrosoft, Vodafone, QIAGEN, Little, Morgan Stanley, SRS Raise the Roof Foundation, The Chertoff Group, Core4ce, Guidepost Solutions, City National Bank, Guidehouse, Capital Bank, Capital Bank, Freddie Mac, Airbus US Space & Defense, Macy’s and Weil.