The Cars 4 Causes Blog.

In the aftermath of one of this nation’s worst tragedies, the 2001 attacks on The World Trade Centers in New York City, the hearts of Americans opened up and arms reached out from all over the world to help those who lost loved ones, their livelihoods, and their security.

This year, President Obama’s I Remember. I Serve. 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance was created “to reignite the spirit of unity and service that inspired Americans in the days after the September 11, 2001 tragedy.” As individuals, we’re inspired to help through our non-profit organizations and community service.

Over the last eight years, too, many organizations have stepped up their efforts to help those who help keep us safe — our military men and women and their families. We’re happy to say that some of these are Cars 4 Causes® Charity Partners. (They’ve designated Cars 4 Causes®, a 501(c) (3) organization, as their vehicle donation facility, and people wanting to donate their vehicles can choose these charities when they donate to Cars 4 Causes®.)

We can’t name all of the organizations here, but we urge you to check our List of Approved Charities to see if you find your favorite non-profit there. Here are just a few of those serving Military and Veterans – We list them today, with our thanks:

Operation Homefront – A national organization offering emergency assistance, support, education and morale-boosting programs for deployed military and their family members, and returning wounded warriors.

Project Hollywood Cares – A Hollywood-based organization that gives copies of current movies and products of the entertainment industry to support and boost the morale of America’s military personnel for their dedicated service and sacrifice.

American Legion – With a membership of nearly 3 million, the American Legion is the preeminent community service organization for war-time veterans, with nearly 15,000 American Legion posts worldwide, and a host of programs for veterans and their loved ones

Operation Gratitude. Based in Encino, Calif., Operation Gratitude sends individually addressed care packages to lift the morale of American service members deployed in hostile and difficult conditions throughout the world.

We’re grateful to these organizations for the work they do in support of our troops, their families, and of all of the people serving in our armed forces. In their responding to tragedy with courage and compassion, we see the best of our American spirit — our heart, our strength.

Thank you, one and all.

– Pat Jessup, president, Cars 4 Causes®, The Charity That Gives to Charities®

Today is September 11, 2008. A solemn anniversary of a date that forever changed the face of  New York City, America, and the entire world. A black eye on the face of America, some say; certainly one of the saddest events in recent history.

The good news is that the National 911 Memorial and Museum has approved and is building what will be a beautiful place of reverence, reflection and remembrance on the site of the horrific terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

The Memorial Museum will house artifacts and recorded oral histories related to the terrorist attacks. The National 9-11 Memorial design contest selected “Reflecting Absence”, which built two reflecting pools in the footprints of the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center. These pools have the largest continuous man-made waterfalls in the country going endlessly down the outer walls into the center of the pools. The names of the fallen from that day and also the names of the first responders to the tragedy will be listed around the edges of each pool.

More than three hundred trees have also been planted to renew the site of the World Trade Center. There will be numerous related places for visitors to stop and contemplate at this site made sacred by the extreme and tragic loss of life that day. All of this will be located near the new Freedom Tower, and three other commercial buildings which have been built during the renewal of what was, until recently, the wreckage of Ground Zero.

The Mayor of NYC has stated that the design of the National 9-11 Memorial has taken into account all feedback from the families of the fallen, as well as the suggestions received during the quest for the most appropriate design. While he knows that not everyone will be satisfied with the final result, every effort was made to respect the wishes of the families and loved ones of those who were lost. They have created a Memorial with peaceful places to go to contemplate the tragedy and pay tribute to those who lost their lives.

Family members will have a private entrance, as well as private spaces for contemplation on the grounds of the new National 9-11 Memorial.

This Memorial has been funded by donations from all over the world. Cars 4 Causes® is proud to be a contributor, along with those people who have poured out their hearts and given generously to this important project. We want to honor those emergency workers and ordinary citizens who gave on September 11, 2001. They made the ultimate sacrifice, and gave their very lives. Let us remember them today. Learn how to donate car today!