The air inside Forbes Arena at Morehouse College was filled with energy, purpose, and compassion on September 14, 2025, as over 100 youth volunteers came together for a powerful act of remembrance. Blankies 4 My Buddies Foundation, in partnership with a student-led nonprofit based at the Atlanta University Center, Achieve M.O.O.R.E., the Hearts Forward 9/11 Day of Service transformed a day of national mourning into a movement of hope, unity, and healing for children of fallen soldiers.
This year’s project was a collaboration between brothers Kollin and CJ Matthews, both recipients of Youth Service America’s We Serve to Remember $1,000 grants. Their efforts combined two heartfelt initiatives: Kollin’s Mission: Buddy Box for children ages 6–12 and CJ’s Hearts Forward for teens 13 and up. Together, they led volunteers in assembling 200 grief kits—100 for kids and 100 for teens—filled with comfort items, affirmation cards, journals, sensory toys, and handwritten letters designed to remind grieving military children they are not alone. The kits for younger children included the sibling team’s latest book, Making Change with The Good Brothers, a coloring and activity book that is an interactive guide to inspire kids to take simple actions and make a positive difference in their communities.
Students also contributed to stations that gave everyone a chance to serve. At the Memory Wall, participants paused to honor fallen heroes with reflections. Others poured love and encouragement into handwritten cards, each one a message of comfort and hope. Others made blankets as part of the organization’s Making Change Blanket Workshop, which proved to be a favorite among impactful activities at Morehouse last year and again during Giving Tuesday in December 2024 after the institution announced two tragic losses last fall. In both moments, students found healing in working with their hands, even as they processed losses within their own campus community. This year’s workshop continued that tradition, allowing groups to tie fleece blankets that carried both care and solidarity.
The day would not have been possible without the guidance of Hannah Bennett and Genesis Price, juniors at Spelman College who serve as E-Board members of Achieve M.O.O.R.E. Their leadership helped ensure that every detail was intentional and meaningful, from the reflective silence observed to the final blanket tied.
Organizations like the Spelman Jaguarrettes and Navy ROTC also joined in, underscoring the spirit of collaboration that defined the day. “This was more than a service project—it was love in action, and it showed that when young people come together, we can truly make a difference,” said CJ Matthews, a high school senior and co-founder of Blankies 4 My Buddies.
By the end of the afternoon, the Morehouse arena echoed with something greater than remembrance—it carried the heartbeat of a new generation stepping forward with compassion, ready to honor the past while building a future rooted in unity and care.