This Patriot Day, honor 9/11 victims by serving America

When we released the 9/11 Commission Report, we described the multiple failures, missed opportunities and lack of imagination that made us vulnerable to the deadliest attack ever on America’s homeland.

Where America’s leaders did not fall short was in coming together immediately in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. On the evening of that horrific day, some 150 senators and House members gathered on the steps of our Capitol to sing God Bless America, showing the nation and world that lawmakers of both parties were united.

As the nation approaches the 21st anniversary of the attacks of 9/11, Americans can help rekindle the unifying spirit of our response that day by participating in the Sept. 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.

What can you do? Organize a food drive or bring meals to homebound neighbors. Help those looking for a job with resume writing and interview skills. Plant trees, grass and flowers to beautify a community. Organize a blood drive and register bone marrow and organ donors. Help a recent immigrant to adjust to life in a new country. Help families recover from natural disasters. Help an elderly neighbor and collect supplies for local schools. The possibilities are vast, and the impact on improving communities and bringing us together as Americans would be enormous.

Today, many of us feel separated from that moment of post-9/11 unity not just by time, but by the deep, bitter divisions in our nation that have us retreating to our political corners rather than coming together to address the challenges that affect us all.

We recognize that the months that followed 9/11 were an exceptional time. We would not expect the vast majority of Americans to agree on major issues most of the time. As former elected officials of different parties (Kean as a Republican governor of New Jersey, Hamilton as a Democratic House member from Indiana,) we recognize that vigorous debate is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Nevertheless, we see a need to restore our sense of national mission and purpose.

Service has always brought Americans together, whether we were confronting threats from abroad or helping those less fortunate at home. Service in the cause of others helps to build ties among people of different ideologies, races and religions to nurture a common purpose through a shared experience.

In the aftermath of 9/11, families of the victims came together and worked with Congress to turn a national day of mourning into a National Day of Service and Remembrance, a day when Americans come together and give back. AmeriCorps, a federal agency for national service and volunteerism, works with its partners and grantees, as well as faith-based, local, tribal and national organizations, to connect volunteers with opportunities.

By volunteering on 9/11, we honor the lives lost and rekindle the flame of unity that shined across our nation after that tragic day. We can stand together and lift up one another, neighborhood by neighborhood, just as Americans did more than two decades ago.

Volunteering is easier than ever. Visit the AmeriCorps Volunteer Search to identify local opportunities through organizations such as AmeriCorps, Idealist, California Volunteers, MENTOR, Volunteer.gov and VolunteerMatch. And service is open to everyone — regardless of age or zip code — whether you choose to serve for a few hours on the upcoming National Day of Service and Remembrance or longer term in an AmeriCorps program.

On this 21st anniversary of 9/11, let us recall how we came together and remind ourselves that we are Americans first, no matter where we come from and what we believe. With this day of service, we can both remind ourselves of who we are and do our nation a lot of good.

Thomas H. Kean and Lee H. Hamilton served as chair and vice chair, respectively, of The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States.