September 11, 2026

by Lauren Ferguson

In honor of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, a group of Ramapo College of New Jersey students volunteered to make a positive impact on the community.

The nine Roadrunners traveled to Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ to lead teams of volunteers in packing thousands of meals to be distributed by the Community FoodBank of New Jersey.

“Everybody worked so well together. It was really great to be a part of it,” said Chase Thonus ’30, an Environmental Science major from Sparta in Sussex County, NJ .

The heartwarming gathering in East Rutherford, NJ was one of more than 50 meal packing events planned across the United States this year by the nonprofit 9/11 Day, which annually leads the National September 11th Day of Service and Remembrance.

The organization has rallied to mark 9/11 as a day of service, empathy and good deeds. And Roadrunners were eager to pitch in and give back.

“It was extremely fulfilling to volunteer at this opportunity. Working alongside so many other volunteers of different ages, organizations, and stories for something so impactful was an experience I will never forget,” said Emily Beck ’28, a double major in Psychology and Social Science with a concentration in Education Studies, from Franklin in Sussex County, NJ. “It was an excellent way to spend this meaningful week and to give back to those in need while remembering those who we lost and were impacted by 9/11.”

Allene Shapiro, coordinator for community engagement in Ramapo’s Center for Student Involvement, organized the service trip for the Roadrunners, then volunteered and led them through reflections about the experience afterwards.

“They really liked the sentiment of reclaiming the day and being a part of that recommendation, and knowing they’re making a tangible, good impact,” Shapiro said.

Together, 9/11 Day and its partners aimed to create the largest single-day meal pack in history this year, and expected 18 million meals to be packed for families in need throughout the country.