Mayor Vincent C. Gray has proclaimed September as National Preparedness Month (NPM) in the District of Columbia. NPM is an annual campaign to encourage Americans to take steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, schools, organizations, businesses and communities. Serve DC will hold three events to recognize National Preparedness Month, and the District's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) will hold ward-based emergency-preparedness training sessions.

"As the nation's capital, we must be prepared to respond to a number of natural and man-made threats, and National Preparedness Month is a way for us to emphasize emergency readiness across our city," said Mayor Gray. "Informed and engaged residents are a key to keeping our communities safer, stronger and better prepared to address threats of terrorism, crime and disasters."

On Tuesday, September 11th, make your lunch hour meaningful by joining Serve DC and HandsOn Greater DC Cares on Freedom Plaza for an afternoon of service dedicated to supporting veterans and first responders. The tribute event, which runs from 11:30am to 2:00pm, will commemorate the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance and National Preparedness Month with hands-on service projects, emergency preparedness demonstrations and trainings, a volunteer recruitment fair, and a brief speaking program featuring local and community leaders, a color guard and more.

The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance is a positive, forward-looking way for Americans to forever honor and remember the September 11, 2001 victims and survivors, as well as those who rose in service in the aftermath of the attacks. For more information, contact Carly Skidmore.

On Monday, September 24th, Serve DC hosts its 2nd annual Access & Functional Needs Emergency Preparedness Forum. This free event convenes access-and-functional-needs experts and advocates and emergency-management professionals for a discussion on how to ensure all District residents' needs are understood and accommodated in times of crisis.

Speakers and panelists include local and national experts from the access-and-functional-needs, disability, and emergency-management communities, including Marcy Roth, FEMA's Senior Advisor on Disability Issues, and Richard Devylder, U.S. Department of Transportation's Senior Advisor for Accessible Transportation. Registration is free, and breakfast and lunch are included. Register online or contact Jason Williamson for more information.

Are you ready? On Friday, September 14th, Serve DC joins emergency-management and first-responder agencies, students, teachers and parents at Winston Education Campus in Ward 7 to kick off the 2012-13 season of Commander Ready, Serve DC's specialized program designed to educate and engage youth ages 5-13 in emergency preparedness. For more information, please contact Carly Skidmore.

Does your organization need volunteers? Serve DC needs you! As part of its September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance and National Preparedness Month commemorative events, Serve DC currently seeks community-based and volunteer service organizations, especially those that serve and advocate for veterans, to participate in the volunteer outreach fair on Tuesday, September 11 from 11:30am to 2:00pm on Freedom Plaza. Register online or contact Carly Skidmore via email or at (202) 724-2229 for further information.

Serve DC invites AmeriCorps members currently serving in the District of Columbia to join the DC AmeriCorps Leadership Council (DCALC) to promote citywide service and leadership. Council members will lead social, service, and professional development activities for DC members from October 2012 through June 2013. Applications are due to Serve DC by 6:00pm on September 14, 2012. For more information or to request an application, please contact Kristen Henry. 

Serve DC is recruiting for an intern to support the agency's National Service programs, including AmeriCorps State, Disability Inclusion, Program Development and Training, and general commission activities. Ideal candidates should be interested in grants administration, National Service, and volunteerism. The intern must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program and available for approximately 12-15 hours per week.  This is an unpaid opportunity to begin in September for the fall semester with the ability to extend to the spring semester. Please contact Kristen Henry for further information and a position description.