Student 9/11 service may bring in grant money

In honor of the tenth anniversary of 9/11, the Corporation for National and Community Service issued a challenge urging organizations, universities included, to engage in community service projects from Sept. 1 through Sept. 14.

Participating organizations kept track of the number of volunteers engaged in community service during that time.

Organizations demonstrating the highest levels of volunteer engagement will be awarded grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000.

The challenge had been a work in progress at IU since June.

It was then that Leslie Lenkowsky, a professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and chair of the 9/11 faculty committee, submitted a concept paper to the Corporation for National and Community Service.

In it he outlined some of the service ideas that might be organized at the University for the challenge and how the proposed events would commemorate the lives lost Sept. 11, 2001.

Based on this proposal, IU was named a challenge finalist in mid-August.
If IU is the recipient of a grant, it will be used to fund future service projects, Lenkowsky said.

One of the proposals would help answer the needs of Bloomington’s growing diversity.
“We get requests from the hospital to see whether there are any students around that speak a certain language so they can help translate,” he said. “Right now, it’s very spontaneous, but we’re going to try to formalize it ... That’s what we’ll do if we get this grant, if in fact a lot of students show they’re interested.”

In the weeks leading up to the tenth anniversary of 9/11, Lenkowsky said service took many forms.

Some IU projects were not traditionally what people thought of as volunteer work, he said.

Jacobs School of Music students spent hours preparing for the remembrance service that took place Sept. 11 at the IU Auditorium.

It was a somewhat nontraditional service contribution that counted toward the challenge, Lenkowsky said.

“Service comes in a variety of ways,” Lenkowsky said. “Obviously, we think service is good throughout the year, but especially in this time of year when we can think about the tragedies that happened a decade ago. To move forward in a constructive way is very important.”

Winners of the challenge will be announced Sept. 23.

— Kirsten Clark