A group of Lake Norman mothers and their teenage sons will mark 9/11 Day this September by turning remembrance into hands-on community service.
The Young Men’s Service League (YMSL) Lake Norman Chapter recently received a $4,000 Youth Engagement Grant from 9/11 Day, funded by AmeriCorps, to help engage local young people in meaningful service. The chapter is using the opportunity to partner with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, with a goal of helping build 100 beds for local children who do not have beds of their own.
The project will culminate September 11 and 12 at Lowe’s headquarters in Mooresville. YMSL Lake Norman mothers and sons will work side-by-side building beds, combining the organization’s focus on mother-son relationships with a tangible way to serve families in the Lake Norman community.
Founded in Mooresville in 2024, YMSL Lake Norman is part of the national Young Men’s Service League, a nonprofit organization for mothers and their high school-aged sons. Its four-year program centers on service, learning and leadership while encouraging mothers and sons to spend meaningful time together volunteering in their communities.
Members complete at least 20 hours of service annually, with half of those hours served as mother-son teams. The Lake Norman chapter works with numerous local nonprofits and community organizations, including FeedNC, Ada Jenkins Center, Habitat for Humanity, The Christian Mission, and Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
The September bed build brings that mission together with the spirit of 9/11 Day, which encourages Americans to remember September 11 through acts of service. For participating YMSL families, the project provides young men with an opportunity to see community leadership in action while working alongside their mothers to meet a practical need close to home.
By the end of the two-day project, the goal is not only to have helped build 100 beds, but also to give local young people a meaningful lesson in service that can continue well beyond September 11.
For more information about the Young Men’s Service League Lake Norman Chapter, visit YMSLlakenorman.org.
