More than two decades ago, on September 11, 2001, many people tragically lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.. In the days, weeks, and months following the attacks, hundreds of thousands of people in the United States and its allies felt a patriotic calling to serve their country and help rebuild. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers were among those who stepped up to help, providing emergency aid to the injured, caring for families, and helping Ground Zero refugees find housing and other services.

These services of millions paved the way for President George W. Bush’s US Freedom Corpswhich encouraged Americans to unite for good by serving their neighbors and their country and to leverage the American spirit of volunteerism by strengthening homeland security efforts, increasing community volunteer service opportunities, and investing in overseas volunteer service to help people around the world.

A national call to service

In his State of the Union address, President George W. Bush announced that the administration would create additional opportunities for community service, recruit over 200,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers, and remove barriers to access to community service.

“We know that from tragedy comes strength, hope and even good. One of the best ways to confront evil is to build momentum through millions of acts of kindness, decency and support.” said President George W. Bush. “Our great challenge now is to foster that spirit of service and civic pride – and to use it for a great national purpose. This is the founding principle of the USA Freedom Corps.”

During its seven-year existence, USA Freedom Corps had more than one million volunteers—setting an all-time high for the national volunteer rate. President Bush’s call to service extended beyond the creation of USA Freedom Corps. In the years following his 2002 State of the Union address, AmeriCorps membership increased by 62 percent. Members engaged in community service activities such as mentoring youth and improving school performance, responding to natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, expanding the capacity of more than 70,000 organizations to meet local community needs, and supporting independent living for nearly 500,000 disabled and elderly individuals.

This wave of volunteerism demonstrated the enthusiasm with which Americans answered this call to service and their unwavering compassion and dedication to helping a neighbor in need.