Lansing resident Michelle Adams plants flowers for the National Day of Service on Sept. 11, 2013, behind the Lansing City Market, in Lansing. Several other volunteers joined to beautify the area around the Lansing River Trail. Georgina De Moya/The State News
Brendan Johnson, an international relations sophomore, was covered in a mix of sweat and dirt as he shoveled mulch out of a wheelbarrow and spread it onto a path, all with a smile on his face.
Yesterday, Johnson participated in the National Day of Service and Remembrance in memory of the attacks on the World Trade Center that took place 12 years ago.
Several projects took place across campus and in the city as part of the nationally recognized day.
The Lansing City Market hosted a beautification of the Lansing River Trail that included weeding the area, preparing the soil, planting more than 200 native plants and spreading mulch.
“I thought this would be a good way to commemorate 9/11,” Johnson said, as he worked through near 90-degree weather. “I had class this morning and as soon as I got here, they put me on wood chips.”
Some volunteers were from organizations outside the Lansing area, including Saginaw’s chapter of AmeriCorps , a national community service organization.
Alumna Colleen Synk, Lansing City Market’s nutrition specialist, sweated along with the other volunteers.
Synk, who was involved with the selection of the newly planted vegetation, said each plant was chosen to help diversify and increase the butterfly population in the area.
“It’s a beautification of our community outdoor spaces that are used for a lot of physical activity,” Synk said.
“Because it is Sept. 11, we want to bring lots of different communities together — MSU students, Lansing citizens, AmeriCorps members.”
MSU’s Fostering Academics, Mentoring Excellence group, or FAME, also participated in the service day with its own project.
FAME volunteers collected and packaged care items in Baker Hall for homeless veterans using a $350 grant from Mentor Michigan , a nonprofit group that supports mentor programs.
Items included men’s socks, towels, shampoo, pillow cases and pillows.
This is the second year FAME has participated in the day of remembrance.
The group was able to make 17 care packages with the funds and accepted other donations as well.
Students also could contribute by writing letters to veterans thanking them for their service, which FAME plans to deliver to Volunteers of America’s Veterans Services program.
There are about 60 local veterans eligible to receive care packages from the program, Daniele Reisbig said, the mentoring program coordinator for FAME.
“We are doing what we can to make a small contribution on this day of remembrance,” Reisbig said.
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