Stagg High School students honor 25th anniversary of 9/11 with massive Day of Service

Suzanne Andersen

5 days ago

2 min read

More than 400 Students and Leaders Pack 600 Care Packages for Local Families, Unhoused Neighbors, and Peers in Need

Amos Alonzo Stagg High School students are transforming history into a hands-on experience of empathy and community support. In commemoration of the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, Stagg High School is participating in a National Day of Service - an initiative established by the 9/11 Memorial Foundation to rewrite the legacy of that historic day into one of unity, productivity, and shared kindness.

Led by Head Dean Andrew DeCraene and Social Studies teacher Jennifer Baniewicz, the project was designed to bridge the gap between history and lived experience for a generation of students born long after 2001. By engaging in collaborative volunteer work, students have an opportunity to connect deeply with the concepts of civic duty and community resilience.

"Participating in a community service project to honor the 25th anniversary of 9/11 offers a powerful way for students to connect with history while developing a stronger sense of civic duty," said Baniewicz. "Today's students were born long after 2001, and this service project can help transform a textbook or social media event into a lived experience of empathy and service."

Stagg High School established an ambitious goal to pack and distribute at least 600 specialized care packages over a two-day period. Backed by a $3,000 budget, from the District 230 Foundation, the packages were divided equally to support three distinct areas of need:

200 Hygiene Packages: Distributed to Together We Cope to assist unhoused individuals in the local community.
200 Birthday Cake Boxes: Delivered to local food pantries to help families celebrate special milestones.
200 Chargers Who Care Food Packages: Dedicated specifically to supporting Stagg students in need.

The planning and execution of this massive volunteer event were student-driven. Since the end of the previous school year, 30 to 40 student leaders from the National Honor Society (NHS), Key Club, Student Council, and various sports teams have met to design the project's advertising, select care package contents, and establish the logistics for the assembly lines.

The packing days will take place September 10th, and tomorrow, September 11th, during all school lunch hours in the North Gym. Student leaders will construct multiple assembly lines. During their lunch hours, hundreds of student volunteers are expected to file into the gym to join the effort. Additionally, students from the school’s Ultima program are playing a crucial role by assisting with assembly and beautifully decorating the birthday boxes.

Beyond the immediate benefit to the recipients, organizers emphasize the profound impact the project has on the student body itself.

"A shared project like the '9/11 Day of Service' creates a collective identity centered on kindness and resilience," DeCraene noted. "Students see first-hand how small gestures of kindness can create a large, collective effort to help people in need. It reinforces the idea that being a citizen involves contributing to the well-being of everyone in our shared space."

For more information about the initiative or to learn how to support local donation efforts, please contact Andrew DeCraene at ADeCraene@d230.org.