Project Connects to National Movement Marking Sept. 11 Anniversary through Service and Community Action
09/17/2026
Media contacts: David Joyner, executive director of communications and digital media, David_Joyner@uml.edu and Nancy Cicco, associate director of media relations, Nancy _Cicco@uml.edu
LOWELL, Mass. — UMass Lowell students, faculty and staff, along with community members, will work together over four days in September to assemble more than 300 care kits for local youth.
Each kit will include a new children’s or young adult book, an age-appropriate wellness item, a drawstring bag and a student-created message of encouragement.
The project is part of the federally recognized September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance (9/11 Day). It is supported by funding through the 2026 9/11 Day Grant Program, administered by the nonprofit 9/11 Day in collaboration with AmeriCorps. The grant program supports service work by and for students, with funding provided by AmeriCorps and the Popeyes Foundation.
At UMass Lowell, members of the university and Greater Lowell communities will have opportunities to contribute books and other items to expand the number of kits distributed to local youth-serving organizations. Kits will be assembled at events on campus on Sept. 17, 18, 21 and 23.
Local independent bookstore lala books is supporting the initiative by offering a 10% discount on select books purchased for donation to the project using coupon code UML911.
“Twenty-five years after the attacks of Sept. 11, we’re not only remembering the lives lost but honoring them by carrying forward the spirit of service that brought people together following those events,” said Chancellor Julie Chen. “Collaborating with our community partners, we’re using our time, talents and resources to strengthen the communities we serve, and helping to ensure that remembrance will continue for generations to come.”
For many of today’s college students, the events of Sept. 11 are known only through the lens of history classes. UMass Lowell’s project provides opportunities for students and student organizations to learn about the significance of the day while participating in service alongside members of the university community.
Faculty, staff and community partners will also be invited to participate by volunteering at kit assembly events, donating books and contributing items for additional kits. Individuals who would like to donate a book or complete kit may drop donations off at the Student Life and Involvement Office on the second floor of the Meehan Center.
About 9/11 Day Grant Program
UMass Lowell is among the organizations awarded funding through the 2026 9/11 Day Grant Program. Principal grant funding is provided by AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, in partnership with 9/11 Day and the Popeyes Foundation. The funding supports community-led service projects marking 25 years since the terrorist attacks of Sep. 11, 2001 by bringing people together across geographic, generational and cultural lines.
About 9/11 Day
Founded in 2002, the nonprofit 9/11 Day led the successful effort to establish Sept. 11 as a federally recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance. Each year, tens of millions of Americans observe the day by performing good deeds in honor of those who perished, were injured or sickened; the survivors; the first responders; and all who rose to serve in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Learn more at 911day.org.
About AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps invests in local initiatives to foster the next generation of civic-minded leaders, providing opportunities for Americans of all backgrounds to address the nation’s most pressing challenges, strengthen local communities, and unite through volunteer service.