Seton Hill's Labor of Love Carries the Spirit of 9/11 Forward Through Service and Kindness
More than 450 members of the Seton Hill community came together Sept. 12 for a day of service that connected the University’s longstanding tradition of charity with its 25th anniversary remembrance of 9/11.
September 11 carries a weight that is difficult to put into words.
Twenty-five years after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, members of the Seton Hill community gathered on Saturday, Sept. 12, to honor those whose lives were lost, reflect on the meaning of service, and consider how acts of kindness can shape the future.
For Seton Hill, remembering 9/11 meant more than looking back. It meant educating a new generation on the spirit of unity that arose from the terrible events of that day and connecting it to putting the University’s longstanding commitment to service into action.
A Labor of Love
The 32nd annual Labor of Love brought more than 450 students, faculty, staff, alumni, and family members together for a day of service at more than 28 sites throughout Westmoreland County, on campus, and alongside the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill.
This year’s event also included projects supported in part by funding from the 2026 9/11 Day Grant Program. Participants packaged 15,000 meals through Rise Against Hunger, made fleece tie blankets for local children of first responders, and created paracord bracelets for active-duty military members and veterans through Soldiers’ Angels.
The day’s opening program connected the tradition of Labor of Love to Seton Hill’s 25th anniversary remembrance of 9/11.
Seton Hill President Mary Finger reflected on the difference between those with vivid firsthand memories of the day and younger generations who have heard about the attacks mainly through history.
“Life for us is marked by before and after 9/11,” Finger said.
She also reflected on the sense of unity that followed the attacks — something she said can feel distant in today’s divided world.
“I am so encouraged by the response here today of Setonians moving forward in unity and gratitude, honoring the memory of 9/11 through active service to our neighbors,” she said.
The program also featured Seton Hill community members who were among the first responders to the Flight 93 crash in nearby Shanksville on Sept. 11, 2001.
Campus police officer Mike McElfresh, a retired Pennsylvania state trooper, reflected on the importance of the small acts of service that build stronger communities.
“Communities aren’t built by one enormous act of kindness or service. They’re built on thousands of small ones. They’re performed by people who are willing to show up,” McElfresh said.
He reminded participants that service is not about receiving recognition.
“Service isn’t about recognition. Your Labor of Love really isn’t about the labor; it’s about the love behind it,” he said.
For fellow first responder Bart Lemansky, a retired state trooper who is an adjunct faculty member in Seton Hill’s criminal justice program, the memory of 9/11 is also tied to the extraordinary sense of unity he witnessed in the days that followed.
He recalled how Americans came together in a way that felt almost impossible to describe to those who did not experience it themselves.
Lemansky challenged the next generation to find that sense of unity again.
“And I am not going to be the one to bring that back. It’s going to be you. And if you want to, I’m here to help you do it,” he said.
His message reflected Seton Hill’s effort to carry the lessons of 9/11 into the present—not simply by remembering the past, but by choosing to serve others.
Kindness Forward
That same idea is at the heart of Seton Hill’s Kindness Forward initiative, a semester-long effort challenging the University community to record 7,000 acts of kindness by Nov. 20.
The number 7,000 pays tribute to the approximately 7,000 passengers aboard the 38 planes that were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, following the attacks of Sept. 11.
Stranded thousands of miles from their homes, the passengers were welcomed with open arms by the people of Gander and surrounding communities, who provided food, shelter, and compassion during an uncertain and frightening time.
The story later inspired the Broadway musical Come from Away, which Seton Hill will present Nov. 20-22 as part of its 25th anniversary commemoration of 9/11.
Through the 7,000 Acts of Kindness initiative, Seton Hill is asking its community to carry that same spirit of compassion into everyday life.
Dan Evers, associate professor of theatre and dance and the director of Come from Away, emphasized that kindness does not have to be complicated or dramatic to make a difference.
“A small act of gratitude is an act of kindness. It spreads in its ripple effect. It makes someone else’s day,” Evers said.
The initiative encourages students, faculty, staff and alumni to recognize that acts of kindness can take many forms — from helping a neighbor or expressing gratitude to volunteering time or simply making someone’s day a little better. The Seton Hill community is asked to record the acts of kindness they do or witness through this form.
The initiative seeks to make kindness an ongoing part of campus life — one that extends beyond the campaign’s November deadline.
Seton Hill’s fall commemoration of the 25th anniversary of 9/11 extends beyond Labor of Love and Kindness Forward. On Sept. 12, members of the Seton Hill community gathered at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., for a time of remembrance and reflection. The commemoration will continue with the 9/11 Symposium: Rekindling the Spirit of Unity on Oct. 27 and the production of Come From Away in November.
Together, these events invite the Seton Hill community to honor those affected by 9/11, reflect on the unity that followed the attacks, and carry those lessons into the future.
Through Labor of Love and Kindness Forward, Seton Hill connects remembrance with action—encouraging service, compassion, and kindness not only during the 25th anniversary commemoration, but throughout the years ahead.