SCA and American Express Unite for 9/11 Service in NYC and DC

150 Volunteers Honor 9/11 National Day of Service & Remembrance

With support from American Express, SCA rallied a force of 150 volunteers in New York City and Washington, DC to commemorate the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance.

In NYC, volunteers boarded a ferry in Downtown Manhattan and headed out into New York Harbor to serve on Governors Island. SCA was proud to join the Trust for Governors Island and the Friends of Governors Island for a fourth consecutive year 9/11 service, improving the island park that served as a base for first responders following the events of September 11th. Today Governors Island is an oasis of green space just 800 yards from Lower Manhattan, offering spectacular views of the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center.

“I was a first responder on that day sixteen years ago,” said one of the ferry operators as he welcomed dozens of volunteers on board. “I appreciate all that you are doing to pass on the service ethic to future generations!”

AMEX volunteers build a rain garden to reduce stormwater runoff on Governors Island

Over a hundred participants from across NYC — including a contingent of American Express employee volunteers — got to work at project sites across the island. Guided by leaders from SCA’s Hudson Valley Corps and Excelsior Conservation Corps, volunteers built a rain garden to reduce stormwater runoff, resurfaced natural woodchip trails on the island’s Discovery Hill, removed harmful invasive grasses and reeds that threaten the island’s biodiversity, and mulched saplings to protect the island’s young trees for the winter. Volunteers also assisted the Billion Oyster Project in building oyster cages and hauling up existing cages to collect data on baby oysters that will be reintroduced to help improve water quality in New York Harbor.

Volunteers in NYC nurture baby oysters that will help to improve water quality in New York Harbor as part of the Billion Oyster Project.

Later that same day in DC, volunteers came together at Bardo Brewing for an evening of networking and service. In partnership with Net Impact, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering a new generation of leaders to build “impact careers,” SCA hosted a seed ball table to educate volunteers about the importance of growing wildflowers to support pollinator restoration. Volunteers had a great time making a total of 50 seed balls, and were thrilled they could take them home to plant in their own gardens. One volunteer said, “Can I teach this activity now? I feel like I am now a seed ball master!”

Volunteers in DC made native wildflower seed balls and learned about the importance of pollinator restoration.

Special thanks to American Express for supporting 9/11 service and other SCA ConSERVE Events across the country!

Thanks also to the Trust for Governors Island, Friends of Governors Island, Billion Oyster Project, and all of our other community partners who joined us in NYC:

Employee volunteers from Mark43, Inc., Marsh USA, Inc., PricewaterhouseCoopers, and QBE North America; community volunteers from Cities of Service, Harlem YMCA, Hudson River Park Trust, InterExchange, and Red Hook Community Resilience Corps; and students from Alpha Phi Omega, Baruch College, College of Staten Island, Columbia University School of Professional Studies, Omega Chi Epsilon, Stevens Institute of Technology, and Tottenville High School.

Thanks also to Net Impact and Bardo Brewing for helping SCA to bring 9/11 service to community members in DC.